A Chance For Happily Ever After
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Elijah tries not to worry too much and wreck Selina's joy after Amelia confesses about giving up Thomas, which in turn lets her help Damon, who is struggling with the idea of his mother liking another man and even bringing his brother into the situation so they can both be miserable, and Charlotte is happy with her new friend. Crossover with Going To Know You Again.
1. A New Haunt

**Disclaimer: Only plot and original characters belong to me.**

"So this is where you live?" Charlotte asked as she drifted through the wall of Thomas' apartment and he came through the front door. She was shocked. She'd never seen such a tiny dwelling in her whole life.

"I know it's not much, but I've never needed much," Thomas told her as he sat down on the sagging navy blue sofa. "As long as I can say it's mine, that's fine with me."

"Well, I'm sure," Charlotte nodded. She noticed a thin layer of dust on the furniture, but ignored it. "It's very…homey," she said.

"I know, isn't it?" Thomas asked.

Charlotte then noticed an old photograph on the table behind the sofa. It had two people in it. "Who are they?" She asked, gently picking it up. "Are they your ancestors or something?"

"No, they're my parents, or what I thought my parents would be like," Thomas said, even though the photo was dated from the early 1860s. "I know that sounds silly, but that picture really _was_ from when I was a child. I'm a vampire, you know."

"What?" Charlotte asked, her eyes widening. "You couldn't be! You're much too nice to be one of… _them_."

"I know it's a bit unbelievable and that vampires are thought to be just creatures in stories, but it's true," Thomas told her. "It's what I am. I know it's a bit soon to be blurting something out like this, but I thought that, you know, since you're a ghost and all, it wouldn't bother you. _Does_ it bother you?"

"Oh, no…" Charlotte told him quickly. "Of course not. I mean, you could say that I was very anti-vampire in my life. The town I lived in was under threat from them, and my husband carried a strong belief in them from his childhood in Italy, which made him hate them too, but…since my sons joined their ranks, I've learned to be a bit more tolerant. So I don't hate you for being a vampire. I'm just a little surprised because you don't fit the image of vampires that I've had all my life. You're more like my sons, or my best friend, or my best friend's daughter."

"Am I?" Thomas smiled. "What are they like? Tell me, please."

"Well, Amelia," Charlotte began, "She's the sort of person who, if you just looked at her and took what you saw, she wouldn't seem very likable. She grew up in a family of very wealthy people who taught her to think a lot of herself because of her position in town, plus she wasn't given a lot of love in her life, so giving it to others wasn't something she was good at, especially to her poor daughter." Charlotte sighed. "She put that little girl through so much, but it wasn't entirely her fault. She tried as well as she could, and as long as I was there to help her, things went reasonably well. And then there was whole matter of Andrew."

"And who's he?" Thomas asked. "Her beau?"

Charlotte looked at him in surprise and chuckled a little. "I haven't heard anyone talk like that in a _long_ time, but yes. He was the one she loved because he was one of the few people besides me who took the time to know the real her, under the façade that made her seem so unapproachable. She loved him very deeply and he loved her, but because he was a second son, he wasn't in line to inherit anything particularly spectacular and her parents wanted more for her than that, so they urged her to marry his older brother instead. And those two got along, of course, and Matthew was good to her, but you couldn't say they had the kind of deep and enduring love that she had with his brother."

"How sad," Thomas said and sat down on the sofa. "No _wonder_ she was so unhappy."

"Yes," Charlotte nodded. "Fortunately, her daughter turned out reasonably well in spite of Amelia's troubles. Her name is Selina and she's just…she's a little mischievous, but also very sweet."

"That's not a name you hear every day, is it?" Thomas wanted to know.

"No, it's not," Charlotte agreed. "But it was a subtle way to honor Amelia's family heritage, which was not otherwise mentioned in her house. A very strange thing."

"Well, your friend doesn't seem so bad," Thomas told her. "There were times growing up when I would wish for a family and a home, no matter how strict they were. I just wanted to feel like I belonged."

"And did that happen for you?" Charlotte asked. "Did you get a home?"

"Yeah," Thomas nodded. "I did, but…the couple died when I was fifteen and I've had to make my own way in the world ever since."

"Well, it seems you were successful with that," Charlotte got out. "I mean, you have a home and all that."

"That I do," Thomas nodded. "Although, it's an empty home. Between being a vampire and being able to see spirits, I've shied away from having many friends in my life."

"Well, that's what I'm here for," Charlotte told him. " _I'm_ your friend, Thomas."

Thomas smiled. "You _are,_ aren't you? And thank you for the story about your friends. Now I can think of them and maybe…maybe pretend they're _my_ family. I know that might sound strange, but…"

"It doesn't sound strange at all," Charlotte assured him. "I promise."

* * *

"So you're still looking at that letter even though it's been days since we got it," Amelia said, coming down stairs early one morning to see why Andrew wasn't in bed with her.

"Yes, sorry," Andrew replied as she kissed his neck. "I'll come back to bed now."

"Oh, you don't have to," Amelia replied and sat down in the chair next to him. "I didn't come down here to tell you to do anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Ah," Andrew nodded and took her in his arms to give her a kiss. "All right." He chuckled a little as he held the letter out to her. "I know this letter can't possibly be from our son Thomas, because he's been dead for years, but is it…is it weird that I'm pretending it is? That I want to forge a connection in some way with the first child I ever fathered to live more than a few days?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "In fact…" She got up and ran upstairs, then came back with a box of folded paper, some of it more yellowed than other bits. "I used to do the same thing. I knew giving him up was probably the best thing I could have done, and I don't regret it at all, but…I never forgot him, you know? And I imagined what he was doing with himself and I would write letters as if they were from him, telling me what he was up to with his other family and how well they treated him. It just…it helped me cope with the loss."

Andrew then held onto her as she sniffled and said, "This is too sad. We need to stop talking about it. Why don't we just make ourselves some tea and then try and get some sleep, all right?"

"Sure," Amelia nodded. "That's probably a good idea. And do you think I should tell Selina about her brother?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "I really think you should. Not that she probably hasn't had it figured out for years because that's how she is, but…telling her so that she knows for sure would be nice."

* * *

"You wanna get the door?" Selina asked Elijah as he gave her bare breasts one last kiss and rolled next to her on the mattress. "Or I could? It sounds like my mother's come to visit."

"I really think you should do this," Elijah told her. "She's _your_ mother. And she's probably come to talk to you anyway."

Selina sighed. "You have a good point. I'll go, tell her whatever it is that she wants to hear, and then I'll be back in a jiffy. I promise."

"Well, I hope that's true," he told her, a smirk on his lips as he got out of bed and came up behind her as she reached for her bathrobe to cup her bare bottom with both hands, pull her against him, and whisper into her ear. "Cause you know how I don't like to be kept waiting."

The feeling of his lips against her earlobe along with him holding her against his body made her moan. "You know," she said, "I could always tell her to wait. Once she finds out what she interrupted, I'm sure she'll be more than willing to come back later."

"No, you really should go," He said, turning her around and giving her a kiss.

"For heaven's sake, make up your mind!" She told him as she pulled away from him and got her robe tied. "You really _are_ terrible."

"Oh, I know," Elijah grinned wickedly. "Hurry back, darling."

Selina didn't look back over her shoulder cause she knew the wicked grin he was wearing would just make her lose her focus and go running back to him instead of going to answer the very persistent ringing of the doorbell. "I knew it was you," she said when she saw her mother and uncle on the other side of the door.

"Sorry for being so persistent," Andrew apologized before she could even invite them in. "After Amelia rang the doorbell a couple of times, I told her that we should leave and come back later, but she insisted."

"Because what we're about to tell her is too important to wait on," Amelia replied, and then turned to face her daughter. "Although I see that you're wearing a bathrobe, which can only mean one thing, so I'll make it quick: When you were ten and your grandparents died, I decided afterward that I should do whatever I wanted and your uncle and I sort of…began an affair, which led to me getting pregnant. I didn't find out for sure, of course, until after he died, and then I didn't feel I could raise a child alone, so Doctor Stensrund took me to an orphanage in Richmond and I gave the baby up. Long story short, you had a brother for some of your human life. I just didn't feel up to raising him, so he didn't live with us."

Selina was silent for a little bit and then she said, "I knew you were pregnant that whole time! Why didn't you just be honest with me about it?"

"Cause I wasn't sure if I was going to keep the child or not and I didn't want to get your hopes up," Amelia replied. "Are you mad?"

"I suppose not," Selina replied. "You made the choice that was right for you, even though it would have been nice to have a sibling. I suppose Damon and Stefan were close enough, though."

"All right," Amelia said and turned around. "That's all we came to tell you. You can get back to whatever it was that you were doing before we showed up. Goodbye."

" _That's_ how we're ending the conversation?" She heard Andrew ask as he and Amelia walked away. "I think it warrants more discussion than that."

"Why?" Amelia asked. "She obviously is okay with it. Why go on when we don't need to?"

Selina shut the door behind them and went back to Elijah. "Well, that was fun," she said, undoing her bathrobe and climbing back beside him.

"What happened?" Elijah asked. "What did your mother have to say? It _was_ your mother, right?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It was no biggie, though. Mama just told me that she and Uncle Andrew had an affair after my grandparents died, then she got pregnant, and after Uncle Andrew was killed, she gave birth to my half-brother and then gave him to an orphanage. That's all."

"How do you feel about that?" Elijah asked, taking her in his arms.

"Well, what's there to feel?" Selina asked. "I mean, it's not like when Christine and Daddy said they were gonna have Sarah. This brother of mine isn't someone who exists now. He's someone I _could_ have had as a sibling, but didn't. It's exciting and…a little sad."

"But trust me on this, though," Elijah told her. "Little brothers aren't always all they're cracked up to be. Sometimes they're nice, but sometimes they're…evil."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Selina nodded. "If anyone could help me with the reality of this, you could."

"I mean that's not to say that you shouldn't mourn this lost sibling," Elijah continued. "But it might help with the grief process if you think of them not only as this angel that was lost, but as a person who could have had a tendency to go bad and your mother's giving him up prevented that."

"And in the environment where he would have grown up if Mama had kept him, that would have been a definite possibility," Selina agreed. "In all honesty, even if there is a loss, I think Mama did the right thing. I was strong enough to handle living with the Lockwoods cause I was a girl and not as susceptible to the pressure that came with having a werewolf gene, but a boy in the same position? That might have been more trouble than Mama bargained for, especially when he found out about the werewolf stuff. Cause even though the rule in the family was that none of us was supposed to turn, I know my male cousins at least talked about it behind their parents' backs."

"Exactly," Elijah nodded. "Feel better?"

"Yes," Selina nodded and put her arms around him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Elijah replied and nibbled on her ear before putting her back down against the mattress and parting her legs so he could bury himself inside her while his fingers knotted in her hair and his lips crashed against hers which was a blessing because even if it was just for a little while, she forgot everything in her world except him, and that was perfectly fine with her.


	2. Talking To Mother

"What the hell is that?" Damon asked when he came down for breakfast several days later and found a picture in his usual chair. He squinted at it long enough to realize that one of the people in it was his mother, and the other was some guy who was nicely built. "Is this that picture that you told me you were making of my mother that you said I would never have to look at ever?"

"Well, yes, but I'm fishing for compliments," Lucy informed him as she came to position herself by the picture. "Come and tell me what you think."

"It's beautifully done, as always," Damon got out. "But I can't say I'm too fond of the subject matter."

"All right," Lucy nodded with satisfaction and removed the picture from his chair. "I knew that's what you were going to say, and it's good enough for me. I'm gonna go put this back in my studio now, all right?"

"Go ahead," Damon replied. "You'll get no complaints from me."

When Lucy came back from putting the picture away, she poured herself a cup of coffee and then got one for Damon, rolling her eyes as he added bourbon to his cup. "I don't know why you do that," she said.

"I do it because I like it," Damon told her. "Are you worried that it's gonna be bad for me?"

"Well, no, but…you drink a lot, don't you?" Lucy asked.

"I suppose I do," Damon nodded. "And Mother says that's part of why your mother got hooked, because I influenced her."

"Is that true?" Lucy asked.

"Maybe," Damon said. "I only know so many ways of coping with trouble and your mother looked like she needed one." He pushed the cup toward her. "This is good. You should try it."

"No, thanks," Lucy put a hand up. "You know I don't drink like you do."

"Well, all right," Damon nodded and took the cup back. "You're missing out, but it's more for me."

He drank his coffee and went to make himself some bacon and some blood, and once he finished those, took a look at Lucy's picture one more time and went to call his brother and tell him what was going on with their mother because there was no way he was suffering through this alone. Plus, it had been awhile since Lucy had seen Felicity anyway, so even if she _did_ question his motives and tell him he was being ridiculous (and she would, because that's how Lucy Elizabeth Mikaelson rolled), he could just say he had invited her niece along for the ride, so she couldn't accuse him of being entirely self-serving.

He got on the phone, and called Stefan's number, figuring that he wouldn't be up yet, but refusing to get off the phone until his brother answered, no matter how many times it rang.

* * *

"Someone is on the phone," The blonde said as she sat up in bed and roused the man beside her. "Stefan, someone is calling us."

"Who cares?" Stefan Salvatore muttered. "There are so few people on this earth that I like talking to. If you want to talk to the person that's calling, go ahead and do it, Lissy."

"Oh, fine," Felicity Mikaelson said as she gave him a spank on the bottom and made her way to the phone, which was in his pants pocket. The pants were hanging on a chair by the door. "Hello?" She said. "Who is it?"

"Is my brother there, Felicity?" Damon wanted to know. "Tell him that I have to talk to him. It's kind of an important family emergency. And that if he doesn't talk to me now, I'll just keep calling til he does."

"All right," Felicity said. Usually it was her mother Helene that talked this way while she rhapsodized about Felicity's brother and sister and their jobs with the witch's council, so it was nice to see Stefan getting an earful for once.

"Your brother wants to talk to you," She said, breaking Stefan's neck to get his attention cause he'd fallen back asleep. "And you might as well answer it now, otherwise he'll keep calling."

"Oh, all right," Stefan growled at her as his neck came back into alignment and he rubbed it, giving her a scowl. "I guess I'll talk to him. Give me the damn phone, and you are a really awful person, you know that?"

"I'm not so bad," Felicity told him. "If I were any other way, you'd have been bored with me a long time ago. Enjoy talking to your brother." She strode away Stefan heard Damon's voice on the other side of the line.

"Are you there?" He cried. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why won't you talk to me?"

"It's nice to hear your voice too," Stefan told him dryly. "What is it that you want, Damon? What's so important that you felt the need to break the streak of all those days we went without talking to each other?"

"I believe our mother has a boyfriend," Damon told him.

"Our mother is _dead,_ " Stefan reminded Damon calmly. "Don't you remember that? What would make you say such a stupid thing?"

"Lucy heard it from Amelia," Damon informed him. "Mother's in Seattle and she made friends with a human man and had him write Amelia a letter so she would know that Mother was all right."

"And Amelia's dead too!" Stefan cried. "Why are you convinced all these people who are dead are alive?"

"Because they are!" Damon replied. "You're really behind the times, being a hermit with Felicity in the boardinghouse. Why don't you come and join me and get a taste of how things really are? You can bring Felicity too, if you'd like."

"Fine, whatever," Stefan replied. "But I'm only coming so I can tell you what an idiot you're being."

"I think you'll have a change of tune once you get here," Damon told him. "See you in a few hours."

Stefan got off the phone then as Felicity came back and handed him a drink. "So…how was your talk?"

"It's very alarming what's going on in my brother's head," Stefan told her as he pulled her onto his lap. "So, I'm going to go visit him and try and talk some sense into him. You can come too, if you like."

"Sure," Felicity nodded. "It's been awhile since I've seen everyone back home. When are we leaving?"

"Once we both get dressed," Stefan replied and played with the gauzy over-skirt of the black teddy she wore. "Although this looks awfully good on you, I'm sure your aunt wouldn't let you in the house if you weren't wearing clothes."

"You're right," Felicity agreed. "I'll be dressed right away."

* * *

"Well, look who's here!" Lucy cried when she opened the door to Stefan's knock and hugged her niece. "Damon said he was inviting you to come visit, but I didn't actually think you'd agree to it."

"I was worried about some of the crazy things he was saying, so I told him I would come to talk some sense into him," Stefan said as Lucy let go of Felicity and took Stefan's hand for a few seconds. "I'm surprised you're allowing him to think things like our mother being alive. I thought you were too practical for that."

"Well, she's not alive," Lucy corrected. "She's a ghost. There's a difference. She came to keep a grip on Grandma Amelia when she thought Grandpa Matthew was being taken away from her. She stayed here with us for a bit and I saw her with my own eyes. That's why I believe him."

"And do you think the same favor could be done for me?" Stefan asked. "Can I see her? Where is she?"

"She's not here," Lucy told him. "She's in Seattle. At least that's what the letter her friend wrote said. So you won't be able to see her, I'm afraid. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Stefan asked. "Do you have an idea?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. "Just a minute. I need to run to the toy store downtown. You amuse yourselves while I'm gone. I'm sure you and your brother have a lot to talk about. I won't be gone long, I promise."

But instead of having conversation with his brother, Stefan chose to sit in awkward silence with him while Felicity tried again and again to chat, but failed.

"Okay, I give up," she huffed irritably and stood up from her seat, pushing some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. "If you two are just gonna sit here like a couple of lumps, I think I'll go hunting instead. That's much more stimulating anyway."

"I'll come with you," Stefan replied. "We were called here so fast, I didn't have time to feed."

So Damon was alone when Lucy returned with a box from the game store. "Where'd Stefan and Felicity go?" She asked. "Don't tell me you've driven them away already. They just got here!"

"Nah, I didn't," Damon told her. "They just went out hunting. I would have gone with them, but I figured someone should be here when you got back. What have you got there?"

"Ouija board," Lucy replied, taking it out and setting it on the table. "I thought that since Stefan can't see your mom, maybe he could talk to her."

"Do you think it really works that way?" Damon asked.

"Well, what would it hurt to try?" Lucy shrugged. "If it doesn't work, we won't be out anything. Not really."

"What do you think dear old Uncle Elijah would say if he knew you were dabbling in stuff like this?" Damon smirked.

"Well, he might be slightly exasperated with me, but really, it's no worse than any of the crazy stuff Mom's done, so…" Lucy shrugged.

By the time Felicity and Stefan returned from their hunt and had washed themselves off, the lights were dimmed, the board was set up, the curtains were closed, and candles were everywhere.

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan asked.

"Lucy bought a Ouija board so you can talk to Mother," Damon told him as they took their spots at the table. "She doesn't know if it will actually work, but she figures it's worth a shot."

So they all sat around the table, their hands joined, and Lucy called out for Charlotte. After that was done, she sat back and waited, hoping that it would come to something so that Stefan would know his mother was around and be able to help his brother.

* * *

"So I've told you enough about my family," Thomas told Charlotte. "What about you? Did you say you had boys?"

"That I did," Charlotte nodded. "Or maybe I should say 'I do'. They're vampires too now, just like you."

"How interesting!" Thomas smiled. "Maybe I could meet them sometime. I would love to meet them and everyone else you tell me about."

Charlotte smiled. "I would love for them to meet you too. Although my sons are somewhat like their father so they might get a bit territorial when they meet you."

"I can handle that, don't worry," Thomas said. Then he stood up. "Excuse me," he said. "I have to go flip my hamburger. I'll be back in a minute."

But Charlotte followed him to the kitchen and watched him make a good sized hamburger, and take some carrots and things out of a good-sized, full fridge. "You seem to eat well," she said with approval.

"Oh, of course!" Thomas replied. "I get crappy furniture and stuff so I can spend more money on food. That's my plan. Even though I don't need it, I still think it tastes good."

Charlotte was about to respond, but then she heard a voice calling her name and felt herself beginning to fade. "Thomas!" She cried. "Thomas, help!"

He quickly turned around, but even with his speed, she was gone by the time he was facing her. He called out her name a couple of times and then gave up when she didn't come back, resigned himself to cooking his hamburger and hoping that wherever she'd disappeared to, she'd come back sometime soon.

* * *

"Where am I?" Charlotte asked at first, but relaxed when she saw where she'd landed and spotted her daughter-in-law across the table. "Hello, Lucy. What is it that I can do for you?"

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," Lucy apologized, "but…"

"Oh, my god," Stefan's soft voice interrupted. "Damon wasn't lying, was he?"

"Of course I wasn't," Damon snapped at his brother. "What do you think I am, an idiot? I wouldn't make up Mother being around."

"All right, you boys," she told them. "No fighting now. That doesn't help anything." She went to stand next to Stefan. "Yes, son. I'm here. I came with Amelia, and I've decided to stay so I can live the life I never got to live when I was married to your father. I'm happy."

"And are you with a man?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say that we're together, but…he needs someone to take care of him, so I'm staying at his place of residence." She crinkled her nose. "It's so small and dirty that I don't know how he can live like that, but…who am I to criticize if he's happy?"

"And you are too?" Stefan asked, looking into his mother's blue eyes.

"Yes," she told him, feeling him shiver as she gave him a kiss. "I love you, though, Stefan. I do." She then looked around. "Is there anything else you need from me?" She asked Lucy. "Because I left rather suddenly and I don't want Thomas thinking that I left him and I'm not coming back. Poor boy was an orphan, you know. He's had enough people leave him without me adding to the list."

"No, we're good," Lucy said. "You can go."

But after she disappeared, Damon scowled at her. "Why did you let her go? I wanted to ask her more about that Thomas guy!"

"That's exactly why I did it," Lucy told him. "She's clearly not ready to talk about it yet, but when she is, I'm sure she will. You two should be happy for your mother."

"Yeah, fine," Damon sighed. "I guess."

He got up and strode away, and Lucy asked Stefan, "We haven't heard the end of this, have we?"

"No," Stefan replied. "Definitely not."

* * *

Thinking that the problems Stefan and Damon had with their mother were best solved between the two of them, both Lucy and Felicity decided to go see other people. Felicity went to see Klaus while Lucy went to visit Elijah.

"There you are!" He smiled and gave her a hug. "You promised me you wouldn't wait so long to visit!"

"Well, you know how Damon is," Lucy told him. "He has to be watched every minute so we really haven't had a chance to get away. But now his brother is here, so I get a bit of a break. How have you been? How's Mom?"

"She's not bad at all," Elijah replied. "She went to pick up her sister Sarah, but she should be back in a minute."

"Really?" Lucy asked as she sat down. "I didn't know Mom _had_ a sister named Sarah."

"Well, she was born just recently," Elijah explained. "Your grandfather remarried. I don't know if you've heard that. He's having some issues with the man who fathered Sarah, so they've been sending her out of the house a lot while they deal with that."

"What a shame," Lucy sighed.

When Selina returned a few minutes later, she plunked Sarah down in Elijah's lap and took her and Klaus' youngest daughter in her arms. "How are you?" She asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "Of course. I just came to visit cause I hadn't in some time."

"Well, good!" Selina replied. "And if you want to stay the night, you know all you have to do is pick a room."

"I might take you up on that," Lucy said. "Damon told Stefan about Charlotte and now the two of them are back at the house dealing with it, especially the news that Charlotte is living with a man. Grandma Amelia read about it in a letter and then told me about it, and the boys aren't taking it well. Felicity and I decided that them coming to terms with it would be better accomplished with us out of the way, so she's visiting Dad and I came here."

"Well, good!" Selina said and hugged her again. "You just decide what you want to do and we'll make it work, all right?"

"All right," Lucy nodded. "Have you seen Charlotte's boyfriend, by the way?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm curious about this guy myself."

" _How_ curious?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just want to know what he looks like," Selina told her husband firmly. "That's all."

"It better be," Elijah replied.

"Wow," Lucy sighed as she put one arm around her mother and one arm around her uncle. "I really _have_ come home again, haven't I?"


	3. Preparing The Defense

"What do you mean the guy who fathered Christine is fighting for custody?" Selina angrily asked a distraught Christine, who'd come running to her crying after The meeting with Astrid and Malachai about Sarah.

"Well, he's not fighting for custody, really," Christine clarified with a sniff as she wiped some tears out of her eyes and took a deep breath. "Or maybe he is, I don't know. But he told Astrid that Matthew is unstable because of the shooting and that's why he is convinced he should be allowed to visit: so Sarah can have a sane fatherly influence."

"My father is perfectly sane," Selina replied. "He just had an off moment. _Everyone_ has those. Plus if he thinks that that's abnormal and dangerous behavior, he's obviously never met a proud and wealthy nineteenth century Southern man before. Dueling happened. I mean, sure it doesn't happen anymore, really. But it was a thing."

"Can you and Dad help me fight back against this?" Christine asked.

"Of course," Selina assured her and gave her a hug. "No problem." She paused. "Actually, we might not even need to bring Elijah into this. I know someone on my own who could help, and he's in good with Astrid too. Surely, he could help her see reason."

"Oh?" Christine asked. "Who is it? Wait, didn't you say your uncle Andrew is a lawyer?"

"Exactly!" Selina nodded. "He knows stuff. We can go see him!"

They were about to leave when Elijah came upon them. "Where are you going?" He asked. "Christine, I heard from Alistair about your troubles. Are you all right?"

"Things are pretty much touch and go right now," Christine told him. "Malachai is taking us to court about Sarah since we won't just acquiesce to his desire to see her."

"Well, don't you worry," Elijah assured her. "I have some friends who would be more than happy to help you out."

"Thanks, but Selina and I already have it taken care of," Christine told him. "She's taking me to go see her uncle and ask _him_ to help us."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Elijah told Selina, putting a hand on her arm.

"Why not?" She asked. "Uncle Andrew's been a lawyer for a long time. He knows what he's doing."

"Yes, I know," Elijah agreed. "But since his brother is one of the defendants in this case, it would be a conflict of interest for him to be representing you, wouldn't it? I'm sure that if you brought him in to the court room, it's one of the first things Malachai's cadre of lawyers would point out, which would cause the case to crumble and I don't want that to happen to Christine."

"Well, what if they don't _know_ that Uncle Andrew is Daddy's brother?" Selina asked. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

"I wouldn't take the risk," Elijah told her. "I mean, you can go to Andrew to help you prepare for the case, sure, but ask him if one of the other lawyers in the firm will be your counsel. It's just safer that way. Not to mention more on the level."

"Oh, all right," Selina huffed. "We'll do that. I still don't like it, though."

* * *

"Okay, we need help," Selina said, storming into Andrew and Amelia's house with Christine walking behind her and clutching Sarah tightly. "Competent legal help."

"I'm competent legal help," Andrew replied, grateful for any excuse at all to stop thinking about the son he never knew. "What's going on?" Then he noticed Christine. "What's the matter? Are you and my brother having problems?"

"Not with each other, but in general, yes," Christine told him and sat down. "See, because your brother can't father children, we did artificial insemination to get Sarah, and now the guy who actually fathered her wants to be in her life because he's a warlock and neither Matthew nor I are, and because Matthew won't just let him be with her, the man talked to the witch government and told them that Matthew was unstable because of the shooting and that's why the man, whose name is Malachai, should be brought into our lives. He makes it sound simple enough, but I'm scared as hell he's gonna take Sarah away. Can't you come up with something to discredit him?"

"Of course!" Andrew assured her. "That guy will be ruing the day Astrid let me take a job at that witch law firm!"

"Don't get too excited," Selina told him. "As Elijah pointed out, it would be a conflict of interest for you to actually be Christine and Daddy's lawyer since your brother is the one who is the defendant."

"Damn, you're right," Andrew sighed. "I'll talk to my boss or some of the other lawyers at my firm and see if they'll help us out. I'm sure they will, though. No need to worry."

"What are we talking about?" Amelia asked. "You haven't been going on about Thomas to these two, have you?"

"No," Andrew assured her. "They gave me a request to keep my mind off that. Apparently, Matthew's foolish shooting has resulted in there being a court battle for the custody of Sarah because for some reason, the man who fathered her thinks Matthew is unstable."

"Well, then they've obviously never really taken the time to get to know him, have they?" Amelia asked. "The reason why my family let me marry him was because he was one of the most calm and stable guys they'd ever met and wouldn't do anything to make me go nuts and become a werewolf."

"That's good," Andrew pointed out. "Since that _is_ the case, it shouldn't be too hard to convince this other man that his fears are for nothing and what he saw was an isolated incident."

"Or that the only reason Daddy gets pissed off is because of him personally and not the world in general," Selina added. "Cause you can't say that isn't true."

"You have a good point," Andrew agreed. He looked at Christine. "Where's Matthew now?"

Christine shrugged. "He took the dogs out shooting when I left, but who _knows_ where he is now?"

"Damn," Andrew ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Now is _not_ the time for him to be giving in to every vice he has. We need to go out and find him." He looked at Selina. "Will you help me with that?"

"Yes," Selina nodded.

"What should _I_ do?" Christine asked.

"You take Sarah home and wait in case he goes there," Andrew told her. "Or is already there." He looked at Amelia. "Is Jake home?"

"Yeah," she said. "I think he is. You want to take Matthew to Jake?"

"Well, I think Jake would do a good job talking some sense into my brother," Andrew said. "I think it's worth a shot, anyway."

"Sounds good to me," Amelia nodded.

So they all went their separate ways and Amelia sat down in the living room and waited to see what crisis would show up next.

* * *

Christine was the one who finally managed to see her husband as he came into the house after the hunt, blood on his jeans as the dogs trailed behind him, barking.

"Good hunt?" She asked. "Did it help anything?"

"For now," Matthew said. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"Selina took us to see your brother and ask him about legal help," Christine replied. "He told us he'd have someone at the firm work for you."

"Well, that's good," Matthew nodded and sat down, smiling as Sarah reached for him and he took her in his lap. "Hi," he told her as she cuddled against him. "I missed you. Did you miss me?"

"I think she did," Christine smiled.

With his daughter comfortably resting in his arms, Matthew looked apologetically at his wife. "I'm sorry I lost my temper and now we're having to go through all this. I really should have been more careful."

"Maybe," Christine said and put a hand on his arm. "But it's all done now, and we'll get through this. Of course we will. I'm even debating whether or not I should do something really really wicked to help us out."

"What sort of thing?" Matthew asked. "Don't do something rash like me. One of us has to appear sane."

"I will," Christine nodded. "If I were to actually turn into a werewolf, it would only be on the full moon, right? And since I wouldn't look like me, no one would suspect a thing if I were to, maybe...sneak over to Malachai's house and give him a fright? What do you think?"

"I think I can't stop you after you've gotten these ideas in your head," Matthew told her, his breath picking up a little. "But just who are you planning on killing in order to change? Not him. Cause if you did, they'd just blame me."

"No, not him," Christine assured her husband. "Like I said, I only want to give him a fright. Nothing more."

"Well, good luck," Matthew said, even though he was skeptical.

"Thank you," Christine replied. "And you don't have to worry. Nothing will go wrong, I promise."

* * *

"Damon?" Amelia asked as she opened the door to his knock. "What can I do for you? You look distressed. Let me get you a drink."

"All right," Damon nodded. "Thank you." He sat down and Amelia brought him a drink, and then he said, "Do you still have that letter that Mother sent you about her boyfriend? I'd like to read it."

"Of course!" Amelia replied and went to get it, handing it to him. "She really seems happy where she is."

"Yeah, I bet," Damon replied. "But aren't you worried about her living with a strange guy?"

"Your mother is one of the strongest people I know," Amelia told him. "Unlike me, she knows a good guy from a bad guy, so if she's taken this guy under her wing, he probably has good qualities. Why? Are you afraid she'll forget all about you?"

"No, this doesn't have anything to do with me," Damon huffed. "I'm worried about her."

"You have nothing to worry about," Amelia replied. "He can't do anything to her. The worst thing he could do is kill her and she's already dead! You can admit that you're afraid of being forgotten. I won't tell anyone."

Damon looked at her and sighed. "I usually tell your daughter things like that, but…I suppose I could tell you. After I've drunk enough, that is."

Amelia looked at him and sighed. "You probably won't want to hear this, but drinking won't make the problems go away. They'll still be there and compounded by a hangover. But I suppose since that's how you've handled trouble for so long, you have no intention of changing now, do you?"

"Nope," Damon shook his head. "Not really." He drank his drink and Amelia got up to go get the letter from Charlotte.

She handed it to him and watched his eyes while he read it. As he slowly lowered the paper down onto the coffee table, she asked him, "Are you okay?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "I mean, I'm glad she's happy and all, but…I won't truly be okay until I see this guy and know what his motives are. And who knows when that'll happen? If it ever does."

"Who says it can't?" Amelia wanted to know. She went and got the envelope and set a pen and a piece of paper down in front of him. "Why don't you write her a letter and tell her how you feel? That could get you what you want, maybe. It doesn't hurt to try."

Damon looked skeptical. "So you want me to write my mother a letter and tell her how much I hate the idea of her living with a man even though he makes her happy? She's not gonna react well to that!"

"Well, I wouldn't phrase it quite that way, but…"

"How else should I phrase it?" Damon asked. "I'm not a tactful person, Miss Amelia!"

"All right," Amelia replied and took up the pen and paper herself. "You tell me what you want to say and I'll write it in a more tactful way. Deal?"

"All right," Damon nodded. "Deal."

* * *

"You're not going to believe this," Thomas told Charlotte as he came in after getting the mail. "You know that letter you had me write to your friends? Someone replied to it!"

"Did they?" Charlotte asked, getting up from the chair in front of the TV. "How nice! I was hoping Amelia would want to begin a correspondence. Open it, would you?"

"Sure," Thomas nodded and opened the letter, taking it out of the envelope and reading it.

" _Dear Charlotte,_

" _I know you probably weren't expecting a response to your letter, and even if you were, this most likely isn't what you were expecting. Please don't be mad at me, but I told my granddaughter Lucy about what was in that letter, and of course she told Damon, who expressed some concern to me about you living with a strange man, even though I assured him that, being a ghost, nothing bad could happen to you._

 _Even so, he says that it would ease his mind a lot if there was some way he could meet the man you're staying with, perhaps because he wants to be sure that he's a good person, even though he promises that he's happy for you. I told him not to expect acquiescence right away, or even a cordial reply to this letter. Now he's back at home sulking and apparently, he's got Stefan all worked up too. I don't see this ending well, but as you are their mother and I'm not, I'll let you handle it as you see fit._

 _I'm so glad you're happy._

 _Love,_

 _Amelia"_

Thomas folded the letter up. "So…apparently your sons know about you and me and our arrangement."

"But they shouldn't act as if I'm doing anything _wrong_ ," Charlotte huffed, her blue eyes dark with indignation. "I swear, they can be as pigheaded as their father sometimes and I thought I was done dealing with that sort of ridiculous behavior when I decided not to go back to him!"

"So…what will you tell them?" Thomas asked.

Charlotte straightened up and looked at him with dignity. "I will tell them that they have no need to worry, but also that they have no say in what I do with my life, and although I will have them meet you, if that's all right with you, it will be on our terms, not theirs."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "I'll get another piece of paper and write that out right now."

"Good," Charlotte told him firmly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Thomas assured her. "It's really no trouble at all."


	4. Thinking About The Missing

"You know, I'm awfully hurt that you and Christine didn't ask my advice right away regarding what to do with Sarah," Elijah told Selina as they undressed for bed. "I could have helped."

"I know you could," Selina replied. "But I just…you know how I feel about relying on you for every little thing. It's sweet of you to offer, but I think we have it under control."

"Well, good," Elijah replied as he took her in his arms. "But if something goes wrong, you know where I am."

"Yes, I do," Selina nodded and kissed him. "I'm sure Christine is really glad about that." She then grabbed him by his belt and led him over to the bed where she climbed in ahead of him and he gave her a spank. "Now," he said as he unzipped his pants and pushed her back onto the mattress while looming over her with a grin. "Let's talk about something else, all right?"

Selina giggled. "Oh, come on," she said. "I know you don't just want to talk." She then let out a shriek as he buried himself inside her with a quick thrust. "You're right," he said, panting. "I don't." Then he leaned down to kiss her while running his fingers through her dark hair.

* * *

"Damon?" Selina said in surprise when she saw that he was calling her on her cell phone during lunch the next day. "What…why are you calling me? Why can't you talk to Lucy about whatever it is that's bothering you?"

"Because she told me I had to fix it with Stefan," Damon replied. "She's told you that. She's staying at your house!"

"Are you still worried about your mom?" Selina asked, immediately deducing what the problem was because, as he'd said, Lucy had explained what was going on. "You have nothing to worry about. Why are you so freaked out anyway? Why can't you just let your mom be happy?"

"Said the woman who got pissed when her dad decided to start dating again," Damon shot back.

"That's different!" Selina replied. "The guy your mother is seeing isn't your stepson, is he? Our situations can't be compared at all."

"Yes, well, who cares?" Damon said impatiently. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Wish your mom good luck," Selina replied. "I'm sure you'll get used to the guy she's seeing eventually. And even if you don't, who knows how long it will last? I mean, think of all the horror movies in the world? Or what happened in _Ghost._ Spirit-human relationships just don't last. Hang on and it will all be over with soon."

"You think?" Damon asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a class to go teach cause my lunch hour just ended. If you need to talk more, we'll do it when I get home around four, all right? Unless you find someone else to talk to in the meantime."

"Yeah, all right," Damon told her. "Thanks for the help."

"You're welcome," Selina said. "I hope it makes you feel better and that you eventually realize that both you and your brother are making yourselves crazy over nothing."

"I don't recall you being so calm when your father was dating someone else, but there you go," Damon reminded her, bringing that up once again.

"Again, Christine is my stepdaughter," Selina said impatiently. "My father was dating my stepdaughter. If that's not a weird thing to have to adjust to, I don't know what is. In fact, I'm surprised I came out of it as well as I did."

"Yes," Damon replied dryly. "You're a shining example to us all."

"Well, if you're gonna talk to me like that, I don't think I want to help you anymore," Selina told him and ended the call.

* * *

She got through the school day, but when she got home, she found herself having to deal with more trouble: Adrian had joined his sister on the sofa and both he and Lucy were looking at her impatiently.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Adrian, sweetie, is everything okay?"

"No," Adrian shook his head. "Apparently, Dad, Amy, Alistair, and Astrid are missing! Helene knew all about it, and so does Lucy here, but apparently, no one thought I needed to be extended the same courtesy. She let me think I was going out to dinner with Dad and Stefan, but when I met Stefan, that was when I found out that Dad was not only missing, but that he'd been gone for a little while. That would have been nice to know before I dragged my ass out for nothing!"

"Well the reason why we didn't tell you was because we didn't think you would care at all," Lucy told him. "You and Daddy aren't exactly close and you're not really good at paying attention to things that aren't about you!"

"Oh, don't you go there!" Adrian told her irritably. "Don't you go acting all superior and chiding me for not being close with Dad when you're much closer to Uncle Elijah than you _ever_ were to Dad!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Selina cried. "Stop snapping at each other. That won't accomplish anything."

"Well, then what _will_ accomplish something?" Adrian asked his mother. "The people we usually rely on to fix something like this are gone too, so what now? Do we just sit and wait?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded and sat between her children. "I think that's all we can do now. Seeing as we don't know why they're gone or how. But it'll be okay, I know it."

"It better be," Adrian huffed. "Because who knows how much Helene's head will swell if she becomes the boss of the whole witch's council?"

"Why are you even married to Helene anyway?" Lucy wanted to know. "If you look at all the time you spend complaining about every little thing she does, it's like you don't like her at all."

"He gets that from your father," Selina replied. "They get mad and just lash out at everyone cause they don't want people to know how worried they are. I do that a little too, come to think of it. But I'm sure he still loves Helene."

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "I suppose she does have _some_ redeeming qualities." He stood up. "I'm gonna go now, since everyone here seems to be turning against me. Maybe I'll be more appreciated back at my own house. Or maybe not, if Helene still feels the need to lie to me about _everything_."

"Feel better!" Selina called after him. "You wanna take some cake home with you?"

"Okay," Adrian nodded, pausing and turning his head slightly. "Maybe just a little. Where is it?"

"Under the dome in the kitchen just like always. It's white with chocolate frosting."

"Good," Adrian nodded. "And don't tell me I have to share, cause I'm not."

"Wasn't gonna ask you to," Selina assured him. "Honestly, I wouldn't dream of it."

Once he was gone, Lucy hugged her mother. "Are you going to tell Uncle Elijah what happened to his brother?"

"Oh, I don't know," Selina sighed. "Knowing him, once he finds out, he'll want to fix it and I don't know if he can. Telling him would just worry him unnecessarily, especially since he's already got enough on his plate with work and helping Christine through her court business with Sarah. If he asks, I'll mention it, but if he doesn't, I'm not saying a word."

"Do you think that will make him angry?" Lucy asked.

"Maybe," Selina shrugged. "But I don't feel bad. I'm doing it for his own good."

* * *

"Long day?" Amelia asked Andrew as he came in the door about an hour after she did.

"Yeah," Andrew nodded and gave her a hug. "And I brought Matthew and Sarah home with me. I hope you don't mind. He's in the car talking to Christine on his phone and didn't want to come in until he was done."

"Oh, sure," Amelia nodded. "How is he?"

"Not much better," Andrew replied. "Although we've talked and I'm going to take possession of all his guns soon so he doesn't make things worse than they already are."

"That's probably a good idea," Amelia agreed. "You don't shoot, do you?"

"No, I like other hobbies," Andrew told her. "I may gamble, I may drink, but I don't shoot. The guns will be safe with me."

They then heard a knock on the door and Andrew went to get it and let in his brother who, as could be expected, was clutching Sarah to him tightly as if someone would snatch her way.

"Do you think I'm being stupid?" Matthew asked, sitting down and letting his daughter reach for her uncle. "I mean, you're the lawyer. Do you think I should just let this go cause I'm making a big fuss over nothing? It would be a lot less trouble if I did."

"That's true," Amelia agreed. "But how would you feel after you let Sarah be with the other guy? I mean, sure she wouldn't be with him all the time and it's not like you're giving up parental rights, but…would you really be okay with taking the easy way out?"

"No," Matthew shook his head and kissed Sarah's hair. "That's what I did with Selina and how I felt after that, well…I'm not putting myself through that again. I'm going to fight!"

"Well, there you go," Andrew said. "You have your answer. If that's how you truly feel, it's not silly."

"Yeah, damn right it's not!" Matthew exclaimed, his shoulders hunching. "Can I have Sarah back now?"

"All right," Andrew nodded obligingly and handed her back. "But you do realize that some time you're gonna have to let her expand her horizons, right?"

"Oh, there's _years_ before that happens," Matthew replied as Sarah seemed to take his paranoia in stride, leaning her little body against his chest. "If I've still locked her away by the time she's old enough to go to prom or get married, you have my permission to commit me. I'll even write it down so you have proof."

"I wouldn't need your permission," Andrew replied. "If you're still acting like this when she's old enough to get married, I'd just commit you anyway."

"That's good to know," Matthew told him dryly. "You're a good brother."

"Aren't I just though?" Andrew smiled. "I'm seeing this as a nice distraction from things."

"What things?" Matthew asked.

"Have I told you that Andrew and I had a child?" Amelia said to her ex-husband. "How do you feel about that? Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Matthew asked. "Assuming that the child was conceived after I was already allegedly dead. I'm happy for you."

"Oh, he was conceived after you were dead," Amelia nodded. "And born after Andrew was. That's why I gave him up. But we've been thinking a lot of what he was like. I hope some nice, well-to-do couple adopted him and he had a comfortable life."

"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "That's what I hope too. He at least deserved as much as we could have given him."

"And the fact that he would get it without my crazy relatives being in the mix is just an added bonus," Amelia added.

"I'm sure he was fine," Andrew said. "Coming from us, I'm sure that he was resilient at least."

"Yeah," Amelia nodded and leaned against Andrew. "I'm sure of that too."

* * *

"Would it be intrusive if I asked how you became a vampire?" Charlotte asked Thomas before he went to bed. "Surely you weren't born that way."

"No," Thomas shook his head. "It was really just a strange thing that happened. It dismayed me at first, but I got used to it. I was working on steamboats going down the Mississippi as a ship's cook and one night, I ran into a stowaway who thought I was going to turn him over to the captain. So to keep his secret safe, he bit me. Killed me. And the next thing I knew, I was a vampire."

"And did you keep doing that same job once it happened?" Charlotte asked.

"For a little bit," Thomas nodded. "Since we were going from port to port, there wasn't really a chance to get caught, so I just kept doing what I was doing until the man who turned me convinced me that I was destined for bigger and better things than being a servant on ship. What we did after, that was amazing."

He yawned then and Charlotte said, "I think you should get changed for bed and go to sleep."

"All right," Thomas nodded. And without warning, he began stripping off his clothes. Charlotte shut her eyes, but her curiosity got the better of her and she peeked through her fingers.

"What are you doing?" He asked, moving her hands so that she got a full view of him in his boxers.

"I-I'm trying to give you privacy," she said. "I'm sorry. I'll leave now." She disappeared, leaving Thomas alone in his room with words of protest still on his lips. He waited for a few minutes, but when she didn't come back, he shook his head and got in his pajamas, shutting off the lights and climbing into bed and pulling the covers over himself.

When Charlotte was sure he was asleep, she came and occupied the empty side of the mattress next to him, gazing at him lovingly and kissing his forehead gently after moving a strand of hair out of his eyes. But by the time he opened his eyes again to see what had touched him, she was gone, and he was alone.


	5. Family Planning

"What have you got there?" Elijah asked as Selina came in after visiting Amelia and Andrew, a letter clutched in her hand.

"This is what got Mama and Uncle Andrew talking about my half-brother," Selina told him. "The guy who wrote it has the same name as him." She sat down. "I wish I could have known him."

"Like I told you before, sometimes, having siblings is not all it's cracked up to be," Elijah said and sat down next to her. "There were lots of days when I was growing up that I wish I could have been an only child."

"Only people who aren't single children say that," Selina sighed. "Cause they don't know how lonely it can be."

"Have you thought any about what this brother of yours was like since you found out about him?" Elijah asked. "I know you like thinking about stuff like that."

"No, but now that you mention it, I think I'd want him to be like my uncle Jake," Selina said. "You know, nice and sedate instead of brash and bossy like the rest of my boy cousins. That would have been a nice change."

"Yes, I have to agree with you," Elijah nodded. "I have a fondness for your uncle myself."

Selina began reading the letter, muttering the words under her breath.

"Anything interesting?" Elijah asked. "Information about our mysterious letter-writer, perhaps?"

"No," Selina sighed. "This is just about Charlotte and how well she's adjusting to where she lives now, which I'm sure is driving Damon and Stefan insane."

"Damon and Stefan know about this?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah," Selina confessed. "They do. And I won't lie to you: Damon has asked me to come and help him deal with it sometimes."

Elijah bristled and stood up. "And just how have you obliged his request? I know you have."

"I just talk to him," Selina assured her husband. "I swear! There's not even any drinking involved!"

"There better not be," Elijah huffed.

Though Selina was as miffed as she usually was in situations like this, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her husband. Things regarding Damon came from her human life, which was a part of her that Elijah would never be able to truly connect with, no matter how hard he tried. That's probably why he got so defensive every time she brought Damon up. Well, that and the fact that she and Damon had once been a couple, and though it wasn't a problem any longer, she had once had a very enthusiastic wandering eye, even early in her and Elijah's relationship, which had her going after her past boyfriends, so she really couldn't blame Elijah for being a little upset.

"I would ask you if you want to come with me next time I see him, but…" Selina paused. "Wait a minute, _is_ that what you want? Cause we can do it. I've got nothing to hide. You'll just have to listen to a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with you and be extremely bored for a long time."

"How long?" Elijah asked. "Seriously, how long would it take to assure Damon about his mother?"

"Well, how screwed up was I when I found out about Daddy and Christine?" Selina asked him. "That should give you a hint."

"Oh, good lord," Elijah sighed. "I just hope it won't take that long."

"It won't," Selina assured him. "Would you like to change the subject now?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded fervently. "Yes, I would."

"And I don't think I have to make too many guesses about what you'd rather talk about instead," Selina replied. "You wanna meet me in the bedroom?"

"I would, but not now," Elijah told her. "Now I just…I need to get out of the house and try to get my mind on something else."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Heading to Laura's? Or Charlie and Elizabeth's?"

"Yes, one of those," Elijah nodded. "Not sure which one at the moment, though."

"Well, have fun," Selina told him. "I'll be waiting in the bath when you get back."

"All right," Elijah said. "That sounds nice."

But instead of going to either Laura's or Charlie's, Elijah decided ask Lucy to come see Damon with him.

"Why?" Lucy asked as he stood in her doorway, which was a few doors down from his and Selina's. "The whole reason why I came here was so he could focus on the business with his mother and not use me as a distraction."

"I know, but your mother just told me that she's thinking about helping him through this since you won't," Elijah said. "She's clearly not as determined to resist him as you are."

Lucy heard this, sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake. I love my mother but sometimes…sometimes…"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Would you like me to come try and head off any conversations between the two of them?" Lucy asked.

"If you wouldn't mind," Elijah told her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lucy said. "Come on, let's get this over with."

They headed back to Lucy and Damon's and found the brothers sitting at a table and trying to out drink each other.

"Well, it's nice to see you're making some sort of progress," Lucy told them and took their alcohol away, taking Damon's chin in her hand. "Look at me and focus," she ordered.

It took a little time, but finally, Damon's eyes met hers. "What is it?" He asked, his voice slurred. "What do you want from me?"

"If Mom comes to talk to you about Charlotte, don't try to engage her in conversation, okay?" Lucy told him firmly. "You don't need her help. She doesn't need to be involved."

"Why not?" Damon asked. "Who else will I talk to?"

"That's what you have your brother for!" Lucy said impatiently, gesturing at Stefan, who was smirking. "The whole point of this is that you're supposed to talk to each other about this whole thing.

Stefan chuckled. "Well, Lucy, you of all people should know how impossible it is to talk to him about anything, so why am I bothering?"

"Cause my father is currently missing and you've got nothing better to do with yourself," Lucy told him.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "That's a good point."

Just then, his phone rang. "Hello?" He asked.

"How are you?" Felicity wanted to know. "With Daddy and Amy being gone, I have the house to myself. Wanna come join me?"

"Yes," Stefan nodded. "I would love to. I'll be there in a minute."

"Where are you going?" Damon asked.

"To see my girlfriend," Stefan grinned. "Because unlike yours, mine doesn't have a stick up her ass and actually wants me around. Goodbye." He zipped away and left Damon alone at the table. "I hope you're proud of yourself," he told Lucy. "You owe me for this."

Lucy sighed and sat next to him. "I should have known that Felicity would cave first." Her eyes narrowed. "And when Stefan comes back, remind me to punch him in the face. I _don't_ have a stick up my ass."

"Oh, I'll remind you," Damon assured her. "Then I'll give him a few licks myself for insulting you. It's not very mice of him."

"Well aren't you sweet?" Lucy smiled. Then she looked at her uncle. "I'll watch him here," she told him. "Then you shouldn't have to worry about Mom." She looked at Damon. "Does he?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "I like you better anyway."

"Good," Elijah said and gave Lucy a hug. "Thank you, see you later."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "See you later."

* * *

"This might not be any of my business," Charlotte said one day. "But I notice that you haven't brought any women around here. Why is that?"

"I don't know," Thomas replied, locking eyes with her. "I've dated of course, but nothing that's ever really lasted very long."

"Cause you don't think the women will be able to handle you being a vampire?" Charlotte asked. "What kind of women do you like?"

He looked her over with an intensity that made her blush. "Ivory-skinned women," he said. "With big blue eyes and bold attitudes," he reached out to play with her hair. "And curly dark hair I can play with."

"Oh, don't be silly!" She said, after cutting off a loud, embarrassing giggle. "You can't like me!"

"Why not?" Thomas wanted to know. "I've had so much disappointment and maybe it's cause every lady I've been with is too modern. You've been around a while. You have class, you have manners. You're beautiful."

"I'm too old for you," Charlotte told him quietly. "And I'm _dead_. There's no future for us."

"I don't care," he said, grateful that he could feel her, warm and soft as he held her against him and kissed her deeply. "I really…really don't care."

Charlotte didn't respond to the kiss right away, trying to stay stiff and unyielding in his arms, but she soon found that hard to maintain and felt herself kissing him back, running her fingers through his hair and over his (shirt-covered) torso.

"See?" He said after they pulled apart. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," Charlotte said truthfully. "In fact, I really liked it."

"Good," Thomas smiled. "That really makes me happy." He paused. "Now would you tell me another story about your friends?"

"Of course!" Charlotte replied. "What sort of story would you like?"

Thomas shrugged. "I don't know. Anything."

"Well, after I died, I stayed around longer than I probably should have," Charlotte said. "And it was a good thing I did too."

"Because Amelia had problems with her daughter, right?" Thomas said. "I remember you telling me that."

"Exactly," Charlotte nodded. "She had one child that gave her troubles and I thought for sure that she wouldn't want to have another one. But she finally found it in herself to be with the right man and soon after that, she was with child again. She was happy and I was happy for her. I thought for sure that this was the one time something would go right for her." Charlotte sighed sadly.

"And it didn't ?" Thomas asked.

"No," Charlotte sighed, trying not to cry. "Soon after she was certain about her condition, the baby's father went away for an evening of gambling and he was shot dead. When Amelia found out, I thought for sure she would miscarry. But she didn't. It really was some sort of miracle, I always thought. But then…then she decided that it would be best to give the child up. That she'd had enough difficulty raising one child without a father, and she didn't think she could do it again. So she put it in a foundling home after it was born."

"And when would that have been?" Thomas asked. "Do you know?"

"Some time in 1856," Charlotte told him. "I don't know exactly."

Thomas gave a wry chuckle. "It's funny…that's the year I was born."

"Was it?" Charlotte smiled. "What an interesting coincidence."

* * *

"I don't see what's so hard about agreeing to let my client see the child every so often," Malachai's lawyer said to Matthew's lawyer for what seemed like the thousandth time. "We're not even asking that there be a change in custody."

"My client feels that your client will use his magic as an excuse to take Sarah away and not give her back," Matthew's lawyer replied. "One of the things that you're saying about him is that he's an unfit parent."

"Well, you can't say I have no reason to feel that way. He shot at me!" Malachai cried as his lawyer tried to shush him.

"My client and his wife have discussed this and have agreed to send all of his guns away so that they are no longer in the house where Sarah could be hurt by them," Matthew's lawyer said. "I believe that concern has been fixed."

"Well, then, back to the most pressing concern," Malachai's lawyer said as usual. "How is it that your client is planning to compensate for the fact that his daughter has magical powers, but neither he nor his wife do? That's why my client wants in Sarah's life."

"You know our answer," Matthew's lawyer said firmly while Malachai groaned. "Stop wasting our time and get your client to drop the suit. We're done here."

Matthew and his lawyer left the room and Andrew, who had been waiting outside said, "You made it through another day."

"I did," Matthew nodded. "We didn't get anywhere, but I got through it."

As they walked away from the courthouse, Matthew asked, "Do you think I'm being ridiculous about this? Tell me honestly."

"No," Andrew said, his expression grave. "I think you should keep doing exactly what you're doing." He then pulled a folder out of his briefcase and gave it to his brother. "Read everything that's in here," he said in a hushed voice. "But don't tell anyone that you have it."

"Why not?" Matthew asked. "Andrew, are you doing stuff that's illegal?"

"Perhaps," Andrew replied. "But if you want that man away from Sarah once and for all, that is the ace up your sleeve."

"Oh?" Matthew smiled as he sat down in the car and opened up the folder. "What is it?"

"Just some information about Mr. McCullough," Andrew shrugged. "And how he has _twelve_ other children besides Sarah. I can bet he's not taking care of them in any way. It shows that he's horribly irresponsible at most and completely unfit to take Sarah out of the stable home where she already lives."

"Very true," Matthew nodded. "But if we're technically not supposed to know this, how can I use it against him?"

"You might not be able to use it against him _now_ , but after I have a word with your lawyer, it shouldn't be long before you can confront Mr. McCullough with it." He chuckled. "I really can't wait to see the look on his face when you mention it."

"Yeah," Matthew smiled. "I can't either."


	6. The Return Of Mrs Salvatore

"He's fathered _how_ many children?" Christine asked Matthew.

"Twelve!" Matthew said excitedly. "Don't you see it, Christine? We can use this to show that Mr. McCullough is negligent and irresponsible!"

"Not exactly," Christine said. "He gave those samples for the use of other people, not for children he intended to raise himself."

"Oh, damn," Matthew said, instantly deflating. "You couldn't let me have it, could you?"

"Well, I just don't want you making a fool of yourself in court and getting in trouble for doing something that might be illegal," Christine told him. "Don't get me wrong. I want you to keep fighting, but this is a dead end, I think. Cause everyone knows that he gives sperm to other people and that those sperm have resulted in children. You'll have to find another angle."

Matthew sighed and took Sarah from her mother. "Not now," he said and hugged her. "I've done enough. Now I'll just savor what time I have with Sarah and let Andrew do all the sneaky stuff. He's better at that than I am."

"Good idea," Christine said, kissing both of them and leaning against her husband. "Why don't we go out and have a picnic so we have a few hours where we're not thinking about Malachai McCullough? Heck, it doesn't even have to be a picnic. We can just go and hang out somewhere. Enjoy nature and all that business."

They ended up deciding to get their horses and do a trail, bringing some sandwiches and food for Sarah along for when the ride was over.

"I know this is not the first time that you've done this," Christine told Matthew as she handed Sarah to him and watched him arrange Sarah on the horse, holding onto her tightly so she wouldn't fall off. "I promise not to freak out like I did last time."

"I don't blame you for being worried," Matthew told her. "After all, we _are_ dealing with an animal here. But thank you for your faith in me. I actually think Sarah likes it. The rhythm of the horse, I mean."

"I figured as much when you came back and she'd fallen asleep in your lap," Christine said and boosted herself onto her horse. "Let's go. Do you want me to take the lead, or do _you_ want to?"

"I'll take it," Christine said, and led him down the trail. They finally stopped at a park and Christine got off her horse and took Sarah from Matthew's arms so he could get off his horse and then they played for a bit before sitting down to eat.

"You know, I think this is the nicest time we've had in a while," Christine remarked as the horses grazed and she watched the breeze ruffle the soft dark tufts of hair on her daughter's head as Matthew used one hand to feed her mashed up bananas and the other to eat his sandwich. "We should do this more. I think it would be good."

"Yeah, me too," Matthew nodded, leaning down to kiss Sarah's hair. "I completely agree."

Then, however, Sarah quite suddenly turned into a frog and Matthew and Christine had to run and scramble to catch her before she disappeared.

"Here, I got her," Matthew cried when he got a good grip on the frog. "What do you say we go home now and get her changed back?"

"That's a good idea," Christine nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

"I should have known that your uncle would come and talk to you," Selina told Lucy after her daughter confessed about the two of them going to see Damon.

"Are you mad?" Lucy asked.

"Nah," Selina shook her head. "We've gone through phases like this before. And I suppose your uncle's right; there's no reason for me to go see Damon. He doesn't need me when he's got you."

"Good," Lucy smiled. "I wish we could call up Charlotte again. She needs to have a talk with her sons."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "We can try all we want, but they won't listen to us. Charlotte's the only one that has the authority to deal with their craziness. Do you think I should write a letter asking her to come?"

"Maybe," Lucy smiled. "What do you think?"

"Yes," Selina said immediately. "Let's do it. Thank goodness the envelope for the first letter was saved so we have the right address."

So they got envelopes, pen, and paper and sat at the table to think about what to write.

"I don't think we need to go on and on about it," Selina said. "Not unless you want to make this more than just a letter about the boys. You know, tell her what's going on in your life and all that."

"True," Lucy nodded. "But since so much of my life is consumed with Damon's craziness, there's not much else to tell, is there?"

"Good point," Selina nodded. "I'll let you take this from there and if you need any help just let me know."

"All right," Lucy said and gave a little smile. "I wonder how the guy she's staying with will react to us writing her? I bet he doesn't expect ghosts to get letters."

"Well, if he can see ghosts in the first place, I bet he's encountered stranger things," Selina told her. "That's what I think, anyway."

Lucy finished the letter quickly, put it in an envelope, addressed it, and then put a stamp on it before taking it out to the mailbox and sending it on its way.

"I hope she actually comes," Lucy said.

"Yeah, and that she brings the guy with her," Selina smiled. "I'm intrigued. I want to meet him."

"Me too, even though it will make us have to listen to more whining from Stefan and Damon," Lucy remarked. "But we'll see, won't we?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "We'll see."

* * *

"Another letter for you," Thomas said, bringing it in. "I've never known a ghost to get so much mail before."

"What can I say?" Charlotte said. "It's what happens when so many people in your life are vampires."

Thomas opened it and read it out loud. "Selina," he said as he read the first signature. "That has to be the woman you told me about. It's not a common name. And Lucy? You never mentioned any Lucy."

"Yes, it must be her," Charlotte replied. "And Lucy is my daughter in law. But did you pay attention to the rest of it? They want you to come with me to meet my sons!"

"All right," Thomas shrugged. "I can do that."

"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked. "You don't have to. I'm sure they'll only treat you badly because they're threatened by you."

"I can deal with it," Thomas assured her. "They're vampires. I'm a vampire. I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

Charlotte made a face. "I think that's a tad naive of you to say, but I'm not going to order you to think otherwise, of course."

"You really think the reaction will be that bad, huh?" Thomas smiled and kissed her hand. "I'm touched that you're concerned for my safety. I've haven't had a lot of that, to be honest."

"I know you haven't," Charlotte said. "And that's exactly why I'm telling you to be careful. I don't want you to be badly hurt or killed when you just started to have a taste of what it's like to have someone care about you."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Thomas told her. "I won't start anything and I'll be as polite as I can. I won't hurt your sons, I swear."

"Well, if they start trouble with you, go ahead and defend yourself," Charlotte told him. "I wouldn't deny you that."

"I'll go write the return letter," Thomas smiled. "I can't wait to go on this trip. It's been awhile since I've been out of town."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be worth your while," Charlotte told him. "Or make you want to never go anywhere again. Who knows?"

* * *

"I can't believe Mother is bringing her boyfriend here!" Damon grouched as Lucy helped him tie his tie in Selina and Elijah's bedroom. "Are we going to have to be nice to him?"

"Of course you are!" Lucy told him. "I don't know what's happened to you. Usually you're so nice, but lately you've been acting like a big baby."

Stefan began chuckling and Felicity said, "Don't you laugh at him! You're behaving the exact same way." That shut them up and then the two of them were ordered to sit quietly on the sofa until Charlotte and Thomas arrived, which they did in their own way. Thomas knocked politely on the door and Charlotte appeared quite suddenly, not looking like their nice, normal mother, but just as she had at the moment of her death, her eyes blank, and her neck broken and twisted painfully to one side.

"What was that for?" Damon asked when she'd stopped the horrible look.

"It's to make sure that the two of you behave yourselves," Charlotte told them firmly. "You treat Thomas rudely and you'll see it again."

"All right," they said resentfully.

When Thomas entered the living room with Selina a few minutes later and introduced himself, they did the same, though not with the same enthusiasm.

They then sat down and Thomas said to them, "So you're Charlotte's sons."

"Yes," Stefan said. "And you're the man who's living with her. You have a nice place?"

"I'd say so," Thomas nodded. "It's neat and cozy. And in a very safe neighborhood. Not that that's really something your mother needs to worry about, but I think being safe is a good thing overall."

They then lapsed into awkward silence for a few minutes until Thomas decided he would try to start a conversation with Lucy and Felicity instead. "Which one of you wrote me that nice letter?" He looked between them.

"I'm Lucy," Lucy replied. "And this is Felicity. She's my niece. Selina, the other woman who wrote the letter, is my mother. She's teaching now, but she should be home in a little bit."

"I'm Felicity," Felicity told Thomas as she appreciatively eyed the muscles that were obvious under his shirt and marveled over his warm eyes. "Nice to meet you. Can I get you a coffee or something?"

"Sure," Thomas nodded. "That's real sweet of you. I just take it black. I'm not one to make too much trouble about things."

"Well isn't that nice?" Felicity said, looking pointedly at Stefan. "Some people could learn from that view of life. I'll be back in a bit with your coffee."

Selina appeared half an hour later with Andrew and Amelia in tow, explaining that Elijah was at their daughter's visiting their grandson, but would meet Thomas next time he came over. "I thought that if you were coming, you'd want to see your friend," she smiled at Charlotte as Amelia hugged her.

"I've really missed you," Amelia told Charlotte, her usually somber eyes lit up. "Have you found yourself a nice place to haunt, or are you just wandering?"

"She's staying at my place, actually," Thomas told her and took her hand. "I'm Thomas."

"Amelia," Amelia smiled. "And this is my husband, Andrew, and my daughter, Selina."

"'My daughter'?" Thomas repeated. "She doesn't belong to both of you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "My father is Andrew's brother, Matthew. These two had a son a long time ago, but we don't know what could have happened to him."

"I gave him up," Amelia nodded. "I didn't see him again after I left him at the orphanage. If I could talk to him now, I would tell him how sorry I am for what I did, and that I meant well. I hope he'd be able to forgive me."

"I'm sure he would, since you meant well," Thomas told her and gave her a hug because she seemed so distraught. "You seem like a very nice person." He then eyed the box of cigarettes Andrew was holding. "Can I have one of those?" He asked. "I know it's a bad habit, but everyone has their vices, right? And I'm a vampire, so it's not going to kill me."

"You're a vampire?" Damon asked, jumping back into the conversation. "Since when?"

"1881," Thomas told him.

Damon smiled. "1864. Stefan and I have both been around longer than you!" He crowed, backing down when Charlotte gave him a look. "Not that that matters for any reason," he said quietly and lapsed back into silence.

"How long are the two of you planning to stay?" Selina wanted to know.

"As long as we're welcome," Charlotte replied.

"Well, if you need a roof over your head, you can stay with us," Andrew said and gave Thomas a cigarette and a light. Then, he eyed the young vampire keenly. "You play poker?" He asked, looking over Thomas' jeans and button down white shirt. He had an air of someone who wasn't so much into business that he didn't have time to have a little fun.

"I did when I was on the riverboats," Thomas nodded. "But I'm a bit rusty. Will you teach me again?"

"Sure," Andrew nodded. "First rule: don't bet more than you can afford to lose."

"Point taken," Thomas told him.

Then, Andrew looked at Selina. "You think your husband would let you come over for a few games? I know he watches you doing stuff like that."

"Gambling doesn't bother him since I have my own money and he says that's mine to waste," Selina replied. "It's just the hunting , smoking, and drinking to excess that bother him. And I can come over to your house without consulting him first. Why would I need to ask?"

"No reason," Andrew said, flushing a little. "I only ask out of habit."

"It's okay," Selina smiled. "I forgive you."

Amelia looked at Charlotte. "So…you want to take me up on my offer to come stay at my house?"

"Of course," Charlotte nodded. "I would love that. I know my sons are still adjusting to Thomas and I as a pair, and I wouldn't want them to have to adjust to too much at once."

"When you say you're a pair," Damon, "do you _literally_ mean you're a pair? Are you a couple?"

"No," Charlotte told her son. "We're just a lost woman and a man nice enough to give her a room."

"Yes," Thomas nodded, although he was thinking of their last kiss. "That's all we are…for now."

Those last two words brought both Stefan and Damon to their feet, which made Lucy and Felicity hold them down while Charlotte and Thomas followed Amelia and Andrew out of the house and slammed the door behind them, bringing silence and peace to the house again.


	7. Putting Damon In His Place

"I have a request for you," Charlotte said to Lucy. "Do you still paint?"

"Of course," Lucy nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I know I'm dead so I won't be able to pay you for your efforts, but would you mind making a portrait of Thomas for me?" Charlotte wanted to know. "I think it would be nice for him to have something like that at his apartment."

"Of course," Lucy nodded. "I would love to do something like that. Usually the only person I paint is your son, so it'll be a nice challenge for me."

"Well good!" Charlotte smiled. "Thank you so much, dear."

"In fact," Lucy said, and pulled out her first painting of him. "This is what I thought he looked like when you first brought him up. Not exactly accurate, I know. But it'll give you something to look at while you wait for me to finish the more accurate portrait."

"Well, how beautiful!" Charlotte commented. "May I have this one too?"

"Sure," Lucy nodded. "Go ahead. I'm sure Damon would be more than pleased to get it out of here. He wasn't too happy when I first showed it to him."

"Well, I'll just have to speak to him about that," Charlotte replied. "He shouldn't be telling you how to do your art."

"Oh, he doesn't," Lucy assured her. "I do what I please. It's just that I haven't had many other people to paint besides him, and I think he enjoys being my muse."

"Well, what man doesn't enjoy being immortalized forever?" Charlotte sighed. "A sign of ego-stroking at its most blatant. Not that I'm blaming you for anything, Lucy dear. But now I think it's time we challenged my son, don't you? You've made a good start, but I think we could do better."

"How?" Lucy asked. "It wouldn't involve doing anything immoral, would it? Cause I try not to."

"Oh, no!" Charlotte assured her, shaking her curly dark head. "It's just a little exercise in appreciation for my son, that's all. No one will die, I promise."

"Well, all right," Lucy nodded. "Just what do I do?"

"Would you let me possess you?" Charlotte asked. "That way, I could get closer to Thomas, and you'd have a built-in excuse to keep my son at a distance, which hopefully will make him appreciate you more."

"That's an interesting idea," Lucy replied thoughtfully. "How long would this go on for?"

"I don't know," Charlotte replied. "I guess we'd see. I promise not to be so overtaken by the privileges that having a body will grant me that I forget that your body actually belongs to you. You can be sure of that."

"All right," Lucy said and shook her hand. "Let's do it. And I would be more than happy to do that picture of Thomas for you. It would be my pleasure."

"You really are a dear," Charlotte told her and gave her a hug. "Don't worry. I won't possess you until you finish it. Cause I really don't know how to paint at all, so you'd get nowhere, and I really do want that picture."

* * *

"All right," Lucy said as she sat Thomas down in her studio for his first sitting. "This really isn't a complicated thing. Charlotte wants a portrait of you to hang up at your apartment, so all you need to do is sit there and try to be as still as possible. Easier said than done, I know. But I think you'll be more than happy with the results."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Thomas replied as he looked around her studio. "I'm surprised you agreed to do a portrait of me, though, when everything else you do is so…dark."

"Well, variety is the spice of life," Lucy replied, setting up her easel. "Turn to face me, please, and try not to move."

Things were going well enough until, of course, Damon stomped in uninvited and nearly naked.

"All right," he said without paying any attention to Thomas. "I'm ready for you to do another portrait of me, Lucy."

"I'm busy at the moment painting Thomas here," Lucy said irritably. "Your mother requested a picture of him, and I told her I would be more than happy to do it, so you have to wait your turn."

"Fine," Damon sighed and stomped out of the room. He then drove to Andrew and Amelia's where he confronted his mother.

"Why are you letting Lucy paint a picture of your new boyfriend?" He demanded.

"Because I want to have a portrait of him!" Charlotte said. "Just like I have ones of you and your father and every other person in my life who's important to me. What's the trouble with that?"

"See, Lucy only paints _me_ ," Damon told her firmly.

"Well, obviously not, otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to do this for me," Charlotte told him. "You'll just have to get used to the fact that you are no longer the center of Lucy's universe anymore." She scoffed. "I swear, you were just like this when your brother was born. Thank heavens little Selina was around to fawn over you and distract your attention, otherwise I'd have gone mad." She then began to choke her son, pulling him upward so his feet dangled just above the floor. "Now, you leave Thomas alone," she told him. "I'm just starting to enjoy my life again and there is no chance in hell I'm letting you ruin it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Damon managed to get out. "Yes, I swear. Let me go, Mother. Please!"

Charlotte scoffed then and dropped him on the floor. "I bet you're going to be just as troublesome in a few days as you are now, but I'm not worried about that."

"You're not?" Damon asked.

"No," Charlotte told him. "Damon, you are my son, and I love you dearly. But when you act like a fool, there will be consequences. Now why don't you go home and apologize to Lucy and Thomas, hmmm?"

"All right," Damon said ruefully, rubbing his neck. "Sure, whatever."

He went home and did as his mother asked.

"Thank you," Lucy said in surprise. "That was very mature of you. I appreciate it. And the fact that your mother probably put you up to it doesn't make it any less sincere, does it?"

"No," Damon told her. "It doesn't, I promise."

"Good," Lucy told him and turned back to continue painting Thomas who was looking at Damon with concern. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Is he going to be all right?" Thomas asked. "He looks like he's been to hell and back!"

"He probably has," Lucy said. "But I wouldn't feel too bad for him. He brings this on himself all the time."

"All right," Thomas said. "If you say so."

"I do," Lucy told him. "Don't worry about it. And remember to stay still."

"Right," Thomas nodded and got back in his original position. "Sorry."

* * *

With Charlotte keeping Damon in line, Lucy finished Thomas' portrait in just a few days. And when it was drying, the two women came together to put their plan into action.

"Now, are you sure you still want to do this?" Charlotte asked. "I know it's going to take a lot out of you."

"Oh, yes, I still want to," Lucy assured her. "These last few days have just made me more determined than ever."

"All right," Charlotte nodded. Without any further hesitation, she merged with Lucy and then went over to the mirror, thinking about what to do with herself. She looked like Lucy now, but she knew she had the power to take on her own appearance as well. She would do that later, when it would have the best effect.

She spent the rest of the day wandering around the house, and when Damon finally returned from an outing with Stefan, taking her in his arms and trying to kiss her, she turned her head so all he got was a bit of her cheek.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked. "I told you I was sorry about the Thomas thing. What more can I do?"

"I'm sorry," Charlotte told him. "I'm just not feeling up to it at the moment. Give me a few hours. I should be better tonight."

"All right," Damon nodded. "Whatever you say."

* * *

And when she came to bed that night, he was ready for her. She opened the door and was immediately met with the sight of him spread out naked on the bed.

"You said you'd be ready for a little fun before bed, right?" He asked with a smirk. "Why don't you come and join me?"

"All right, let's have a look," Charlotte said as she came closer to the bed, looking him over, a smile curving her lips. "You know, you're not as impressive as I thought," she said a few seconds later. "Of course, the last time I saw you like this was when you would escape your bath and go running through the house naked much to your nanny's chagrin. You're cute, but…not my type, of course. If we were to be together, it would be wrong!"

"Excuse me?" Damon asked.

"Never mind," Charlotte said. She turned off the light and climbed in bed next to him. "Good night."

"'Good night'?" Damon repeated, his jaw dropping a little. "That's it?"

"Oh, all right fine," Charlotte replied, heaving an exaggerated sigh. They began kissing and when Damon pulled away from her to remove his boxers, that's when he saw it: Lucy's face turning into his mother's. As he lapsed into screams, his mother got out of bed and ran out of the room, leaving Damon to have a very fitful, sleepless night while she went to visit Thomas.

"So you actually have a body now?" Thomas asked when he came to let her in the front door.

"Yes," Charlotte told him. "Granted I'm only borrowing it, so it won't be forever, but…it's a start, right?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded and took her in his arms, giving her a kiss as his hands ran over her body. "I suppose it is."

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte woke up to the smell of food cooking. She came downstairs and gasped at the sight of shirtless Thomas standing in front of the warm stove flipping bacon in a pan. His naked torso was covered with sweat and his hair was tousled.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she told him. "You look…you look so…oh, my goodness." She was so overtaken that she swooned and Thomas grabbed her.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes," she said as he helped her stand up. "It's the heat, I suppose. A bit warm in here." She put a hand on his bare chest to steady herself and then let it slide down, stopping at his boxers. "I think…I think I should sit down," she said.

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I'll get you some water. Things should cool down in here soon, I promise."

* * *

"Lucy's possessed!" Damon cried dramatically as he burst into Selina and Elijah's living room without invitation. "Lucy's possessed and we have to do something about it!"

"Who possessed her?" Elijah asked. "Someone dangerous?"

"My mother," Damon told him. "My mother possessed Lucy!"

"How did you find this out?" Selina asked.

"Well, we went to bed last night, and we were kissing and then when I pulled away, I saw…I saw…" Damon collapsed into a chair. "Oh, god, I don't want to think about it anymore!"

Selina ran to get him a drink. "Here," she said. "You sound like you need this."

"Thank you," Damon replied and chugged it quickly before holding the empty bottle out for another one. "Keep 'em coming."

Later, when he was sleeping it all off, Selina and Damon were finally able to have a serious discussion about what he'd told them.

"What do you think about this?" Elijah asked. "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"I don't know why he'd lie," Selina said. "And possessing someone _would_ be the only way that Charlotte could make a real connection with another living being for now."

"I just hope that Lucy gave her consent before it happened," Elijah said. "The thought of her being possessed against her will just worries me. And what if it kills her?"

"Oh, I don't think it will," Selina replied. "She's invulnerable. It'll probably just make her a bit shaken up. But I suppose we could at least check on it and see just what's going on. You want to?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Let's go."


	8. The Aftermath Of Possession

"That was _so_ embarrassing when Selina and Elijah showed up," Thomas told Charlotte, who was still in Lucy's body, but really thinking that it was time to leave it. "I just…I don't know if I'll ever be able to face them again. Thank goodness they stopped us before anything actually happened."

Charlotte then stepped out of Lucy and they helped her to a chair. She eyed them woozily and Thomas got her a drink.

"Did it work?" She asked Charlotte. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"Well, no, but…I think we've done enough of that. Let's not do it again," Charlotte told her. Then she looked over at Thomas, feeling very ashamed. "I'm sorry about what happened," she said. "I didn't mean for you to be embarrassed. I just wanted to feel what it's like to be truly close to you. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I do." He took her hand. "But I promise you. This is good enough for now. I don't need you to be alive. I don't want that if it gets in the way of anyone else. And if you find a way to do it again, warn me first, would you?"

"Of course," Charlotte told him. "And you know I'll find a way. I enjoyed myself much too much to just be in this form for the rest of time."

Thomas smiled. "I suppose I would like that, if it was allowed," he told her. "I don't want you to do anything illegal. I usually talk to ghosts about going to their final rewards, not coming back to life, so this is going to be something for me to get used to."

"I'll help you," Charlotte told him and gave him a kiss. "I promise."

Lucy watched them for a few seconds and then cleared her throat, which made them quickly pull apart.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte apologized.

"That's fine," Lucy replied. "I just…can someone drive me home, please?" She paused and looked at Charlotte. "Unless you'd be more comfortable having a chaperon."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Charlotte told her. "I'm done with that nonsense. You can go home and try to repair the damage I did with my son. I apologize for that too, by the way. Would you mention that to him?"

"Sure," Lucy nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Just what was it that you did?"

"I might have made it so it's quite a while before my son is comfortable with intimacy again," Charlotte said. "I'm sorry."

"I'll just assume you had your reasons," Lucy replied. "I don't blame you. You're much better at putting your son in his place than I am."

"Well, good luck," Charlotte told him as Thomas grabbed his keys and led Lucy out to his car. Just before they were about to drive away, she called out, "Hurry back. I'll try and be patient, but I don't know how long that will last."

Thomas gave her a wink and a wave and then drove down the street and out of Charlotte's sight. and once he was gone, she sat down in the kitchen and waited for him to come back.

* * *

"Mother did _what_?" Stefan asked Damon in shock as they both sat at Klaus' with drinks in hand.

"She possessed Lucy," Damon huffed. "Leave it to my mother to put a giant cramp in my love life. What did I do to deserve that?"

"You were whiny and childish and it annoyed the crap out of her so she took revenge," Stefan told him. "I think that covers it nicely." He smirked.

"Oh, don't you laugh, Stefan," Damon told him. "Just imagine what it would feel like to think you were going to bed with Felicity and then waking up suddenly and finding Mother lying next to you. That's something that stays with you for sure."

"Better you than me," Stefan said. "But if you put that aside, there's still the problem of Thomas. What do we do? Should we get rid of him? Make him miserable for all eternity?"

"You can do that," Stefan told him. "I have made peace with this. I wasn't the one who was wildly attached to Mother. That was you."

Damon's phone rang and he excused himself to go answer it.

"I'm home," Lucy told him. "Your mother said she caused you some trouble while I was possessed. Wanna talk about it?"

"All right," Damon nodded. "But just to warn you, I might have to be really drunk before I tell you anything."

"Nice to know," Lucy said. "I'll be at our house in a few minutes. Meet me there, all right?"

"All right," Damon nodded. "See you in a bit." He ended the call and came back to join Stefan. A few seconds later, Stefan's phone rang.

"Is Damon with you?" Lucy asked. "Has he told you what's wrong with him? I want to know so I can be adequately prepared to talk about it when Damon and I see each other again, and for some reason, he can't tell me."

"Well, you're in luck," Stefan smirked. "Cause he told me. Apparently, right after Mother possessed you, she and Damon went to bed, and before Damon fell asleep, he saw you with your face, but when he woke up in the middle of the night, he turned to face you and Mother had changed from your appearance to hers. That's why Damon's so scarred."

"Oh, dear," Lucy replied. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome," Stefan said. "Good luck fixing him."

"Thanks," Lucy told him. "I think I'm going to need it."

She then got off the phone and headed out for their house to wait for Damon to come and talk to her.

When she finally saw him, he was good and drunk, as he'd promised. He saw her, smiled, stumbled toward her, grabbed her and kissed her. When he pulled away, he gave her a long look and smiled wider.

"Wow," he said as Lucy leaned back because of the strong smell of alcohol on his breath. "Look at that. You still have your same face."

"Yeah, I know," Lucy told him and cradled his face in her hands. "Stefan told me what happened. I promise I'm not possessed anymore. Your mother promised that she wouldn't do it again."

"Oh, what a relief!" Damon told her. "We'd have so many problems if I had to keep worrying about that." He then hugged her tighter and fell asleep with his head on her shoulder.

"All right," Lucy said with a sigh, picking him up in a fireman's carry and taking him to bed. Then she got a call from her mother, imploring for her to come home because her uncle was worried about her.

"You're not still possessed, are you?" Selina asked. "Your uncle wants to call someone to fix it if you are."

"I'm not," Lucy assured her. "I'm back to normal now and Charlotte promised that she wouldn't take control of me again. Would you tell Uncle Elijah that?"

"Of course," Selina nodded. "But I think he'd rather hear it from you."

* * *

"And you're sure you're all right?" Elijah asked Lucy as she sat up in bed and he kept bringing her soup. He was still worried about her health even though she'd already gotten in the car and talked to Damon the day before.

"Yes, I'm fine," she told him for what seemed like the millionth time. "I promise. I gave Charlotte permission to possess me. I knew what I was getting into."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that," Elijah said, sitting down next to her. "Things like possession are very serious and not just something that should be done on a whim. Please don't do that to me again. I don't think my heart could take it."

"Oh, all right," Lucy promised. "I won't let Charlotte possess me again. But I think it _did_ have one good outcome."

"What's that?" Elijah asked.

"Damon's mother showed her face while they were in bed together. He thought it was me and seeing that it wasn't really freaked him out. He's been much nicer to me since then.

"Well, that's good," Elijah replied. "You come from a special family and you deserve respect."

"Yes," Lucy said firmly. "Yes, I do."

"You still have her in bed?" Selina asked Elijah as she poked her head into Lucy's room.

"Of course!" Elijah replied. "She was possessed and that's a very traumatic experience."

Upon hearing this, Selina strode up to her daughter and said, "Are you traumatized? Would you rather not be in bed?"

"I'm fine," Lucy told her. "I don't need to be in bed."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Go ahead and get out of bed, then. You don't have to be in bed if you feel fine."

Lucy gave Elijah a long look and then got out of bed, giving him a hug and a kiss and saying, "I'm fine, I swear. I'm just hungry." She looked at her mother. "Do we have any waffles?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I bought some. They're in the freezer."

"All right," Lucy told her. "Thanks! I'm gonna have some waffles and then go check on poor Damon to see if he's better than yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sure he is," Selina assured her. "He recovers from things a lot quicker than you would think."

"I know that's usually the case," Lucy replied when she reached the freezer and then popped waffles in the toaster. "But after what Charlotte did to him this time, I don't know _how_ long it will take."


	9. Having A Little Fun

"And when were people going to mention to me that several people I care about, especially my daughter, have been sent back in time and might never come back?" Viktor asked once Selina and Elijah broke the news to him. "Don't you think I deserve to know? You should have told me as soon as it happened!"

"Oh, I know," Selina sighed. "There's no excuse, is there?"

"No," Viktor snapped. "There's not." He sighed. "The only good thing about this is that Alistair is always prepared for that sort of thing. He'll get them out eventually."

"Exactly," Amanda told him and gave him a hug. "It's going to be okay. You just have to be patient."

"My poor daughter!" Viktor cried. "She must be suffering horribly!"

"I bet she isn't," Selina assured him. "I bet with Alistair there with her, she's managing just fine."

Viktor sighed. "I wish I was the one with magic so I could get her out of this time travel mess myself. Don't get me wrong, I think she's perfectly capable, but a father has to worry."

"Oh, of course," Selina nodded. "Why wouldn't you?"

"But I don't want you to make yourself sick over it, though," Amanda added. "What can we or I do to make you feel better?"

"I would be most comfortable if I could be sent back myself and see Astrid with my own eyes, but we know that can't happen," Viktor replied.

"What if we took a vacation and got away from all this?" Amanda suggested. "Get a little sun on you, a little splash in the ocean…that will do you good."

"Actually," Viktor countered, "I've always been more of a cold weather person than a warm weather person. Have you ever skied?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "It sounds difficult."

"It's a bit of a challenge when you start, but I'll make it easy for you," Viktor promised.

"Oh, all right," Amanda agreed. "Let's go skiing."

"Wonderful!" Viktor kissed her and then went to call the people that took care of his cabin and let them know he and Amanda were coming.

"That was very good of you," Selina told her daughter. "Viktor really _does_ need something to keep his mind off this 'Astrid lost in time' business, and that'll be just the ticket."

"You don't have to talk like it's some big sacrifice on my part," Amanda told her mother. "Sure, I would have loved the beach more, but since this is to help Viktor, I guess it's better to do what he wants and consider it a learning experience. Plus I'll probably have a good view of some mountains and a chance to play in the snow. It's all good."

"Wonderful," Elijah replied. "Call us when you get there so we know you're safe!"

"I will," Amanda nodded. "What are you two up to right now? Still trying to have another kid?"

"Oh, of course," Elijah nodded. "But some things have popped up to distract us from that for a time. Your mother found out that she had a half-brother, and now her mother's friend Charlotte has a new male acquaintance and there's lots of trouble about that that we have to deal with. And your sister Lucy got possessed." Elijah shrugged. "Just another day, really."

Amanda scoffed. "Maybe the two of you should come have a respite in the mountains too, at some point."

"Maybe we should," Elijah agreed. "It would do us some good."

Viktor then came to say that they could leave now if they wanted.

"All right," Amanda told him. "We should probably pack first, though."

"Right," Viktor nodded. "I knew that."

"Have fun!" Selina called after them as they went to pack and she and Elijah headed home to work on lesson plans for the next day and take another stab at baby-making.

* * *

"I have to say I'm really touched by what you did, in a strange way," Thomas told Charlotte. "It's nice to know that you want to be with me so bad that you're willing to go to such lengths."

"Do you _really_ think it's nice, or do you think it's odd?" Charlotte wanted to know. "Come on, you can be honest."

"I suppose a regular person would find it odd, or even disturbing, " Thomas mused. "But I don't. I mean it, really. Just as long as you don't do it again."

"Oh, all right," Charlotte nodded. "I promise." She got up and led him to the music room where she began serenading him on Amelia's piano with _Fur Elise_.

"Just a thought," Thomas told her. "Would you disappear? I think it would be quite amusing to see the keys play by themselves."

Charlotte agreed to this and it gave Amelia quite a fright when she came in looking for sheet music for a friend.

"What's so funny?" She asked Thomas, who was laughing himself sick. "Did you and Charlotte plan that?"

"No," Thomas said, his eyes glinting with mischief in a way that reminded her of Andrew. "It was a lucky coincidence."

"You have a strange definition of 'lucky'," Amelia told him, sheet music taken from inside the piano bench when she'd made sure Charlotte had vacated it. "Do you make a habit of playing pranks on unsuspecting people, especially women?"

"I don't mean it in a malicious way," Thomas told her. "But yes, I do think of myself as a fun-loving person. And I only go after women if I feel they can handle it. You have a sense of fun, don't you?"

"She's not always had one," Charlotte told him, slowly appearing and getting off the piano bench to come sit by Amelia. "It's not really her fault since she was raised in an environment where no one else really did either. But she's learning. Andrew's made sure of that."

"Well, I'm sorry," Thomas apologized. "I was just trying to have a little fun. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's all right," Amelia told him. "I'm perfectly capable of taking a joke…I think." She then put the sheet music under her arm before striding out of the music room.

"I think she can't take joke," Thomas told Charlotte. "I'll have to make a note of that for the future."

"Oh, don't," Charlotte assured him, her blue eyes bright with humor. "She needs excitement in her life and we're just the people to provide it."

"You think?" Thomas asked. "I don't want to drive her away."

"You won't, as long as you wait some time before you trick her again. You're not doing anything her husband hasn't done a thousand times and she still likes _him_. I promise."

* * *

"What did he do?" Andrew asked as he laughed.

"You heard me!" Amelia said, still blushing about being frightened by Charlotte and Thomas. "Charlotte was invisible and she was playing the piano. Thomas put her up to it!"

"I don't know why you were so scared," Andrew said. "We were ghosts once."

"Well, if I had known she was in there, I wouldn't have been frightened of course!" Amelia asked. "But when you go in there and see the keys moving and aren't prepared for it, it's a shock."

A few minutes later, Thomas came in holding a rose in one hand. "Sorry about what happened with Charlotte," he apologized. "We won't do it again. Do you forgive me?"

Amelia gave him a look and then smiled. "All right," she said, not being able to resist how adorable the boy was. "Of course I forgive you. Just warn me next time, all right?"

"Well, if he warned you, it would ruin the effect of the trick, wouldn't it?" Andrew asked.

"Not for me it wouldn't," Amelia told him. She then looked at the clock. "It's almost time for dinner. If you want to eat, you better dress."

Andrew groaned. "Why do we have to do formal dinners anyway? It's not like we live in a big fancy house. It's just us!"

"It's only one night a week," Amelia reminded him. "That was the deal we made: you would let me do formal dinner one night a week if I let you eat in front the television the rest of the time without saying a word."

"Yes, but you always pick the night when the show I really want to watch is on!" Andrew complained. "If you would just pick another night, I won't complain."

"Oh, fine," Amelia groaned. "Next week we'll do it on Wednesday. Do you have anything you need to watch on Wednesday?"

"Nope," Andrew shook his head. "I'm completely free then."

"All right," Amelia nodded. "Now get dressed, all right?"

"I will," Andrew told her, then looked at Thomas. "She's serious about not being fed as well if you're not dressed properly. I'd come with me and dress if I were you."

Thomas got up and then said to Amelia, "I don't mind dressing up so much. It's nice to have a chance to do it."

"That's what I think," Amelia nodded. "It's so nice to know that I'm not the only one." She watched him go and then went to dress after putting Thomas' rose in a vase and checking on the caterers she'd hired to see how dinner was coming along and seeing, much to her relief, that everything was going smoothly, and that it all would be served on time.


	10. Doing What Feels Good

"What are you doing?" Christine asked Matthew late one night after waiting for what seemed like hours for him to come to bed. "Are you still watching that tape of Sarah?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Matthew asked, his eyes locked on the TV screen. He was looking at a video that Christine had filmed of him and Sarah playing, which had, to their surprise, also included Sarah calling him 'Da-da' for the first time. It had been filmed just before she'd been dropped off at Malachai's, which was a big reason why Matthew had been so reluctant to let her go. "She said her first word and it was referring to _me_!"

"Yes, it was," Christine said, smiling as she came to put a hand on his shoulder. "Does that make you feel even a little better about what's going on with Malachai now?"

"It does," Matthew nodded. "Not that I'm not really excited for her to come back for her week tomorrow. Cause I am. I even think I can go and pick her up by myself."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Christine asked. "I don't know."

"I do," Matthew told her. "Let me do it. Please?"

"Oh, all right," Christine sighed. "You can go pick her up if you promise not to kill Malachai."

"All right, I promise," Matthew said.

"Good," Christine nodded even though she still wasn't sure she believed him and made a note to call Amelia and Andrew for backup in the morning. "Now, are you finally ready to come to bed?"

"I just need to watch it one more time," Matthew said. "Will you do it with me?"

"Sure," Christine said and sat down next to him as he rewound the recording again and Sarah's giggles filled the room and her little voice spoke, a little earlier than was typical, according to Christine's baby development books. "Why not?"

* * *

"You two don't have to come with me to pick up Sarah," Matthew said grumpily as he sat in the backseat of Andrew's car that Amelia was driving. "I'll behave myself."

"You tried to shoot Malachai and it would have ended with your daughter being dead if she'd been human," Amelia reminded him. "So you'll have to excuse us if we don't trust you just yet."

"Yeah," Andrew agreed. "If you learn not to be murderous, we wouldn't have to mind you like this, but I don't know if that will happen. And apparently Christine is concerned too, which is why she called us to come take you in first place."

"Are you all saying that I don't have a right to be upset about this whole situation?" Matthew wanted to know.

"Of course you have the right to be disconcerted," Andrew told him. "But maybe learning not to take it out on Malachai would be a useful thing for you."

"Fine," Matthew sighed. "I won't say a word."

"Good," Andrew replied. "That's a good idea."

They arrived at Malachai's, and after convincing Matthew to stay in the car, Amelia and Andrew headed to the door. They were momentarily confused when Percy answered it and not Helene because they'd never seen him before.

"Hello," Andrew told him. "We're here to see Malachai or Helene. Are they here?"

"Yes," Percy nodded. "Come on in. Did you come to pick up Sarah? Helene mentioned at breakfast this morning that you would stop by. I'm Percy, by the way."

"Andrew," Andrew replied. "And this is Amelia."

Percy sat them down and got them drinks and then went in search of Helene, who was dressing Sarah after her bath.

"You get to see your mommy and daddy again today and we want you to look pretty for them," she said as she got a red dress on Sarah. "I think they'll be very impressed." She picked her up and then Percy cleared his throat.

"They're here," he said. "I have them waiting in the living room.

"Oh, we have to keep them around for a little bit so Malachai can say 'Goodbye' before she goes!" Helene cried. "He's at the grocery store now." She sighed. "I _told_ him not to go, but he said that he'd be back in a little bit. Lies!" She took Sarah out to the living room and handed her to Andrew.

"Would you two mind staying around for a little bit?" She asked. "Malachai is out and I want him to have a chance to say 'Goodbye' before Sarah leaves."

"Not a problem," Andrew said. "But we'll have to bring Matthew in. He's waiting in the car because we told him it wouldn't take a long time."

"All right," Helene nodded. "No problem."

So Andrew went outside and dragged his brother into the house.

"Why do we have to do this?" Matthew cried. "Why can't we just take Sarah and go?"

"Because that's not polite," Amelia told him. "We have to let Malachai have a chance to say 'Goodbye to her."

"Why?" Matthew asked irritably. "He's not her father! I am!"

Andrew and Amelia just looked at one another and sighed, holding Matthew down until Malachai walked in the door.

"Sorry about the wait," he apologized. "I know you must be eager to get Sarah back home, but you know what the lines at the grocery store can be like sometimes."

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "Even the so-called 'express lines'. So slow and so packed with people!"

Malachai took Sarah from Helene and Matthew tried not to swear or attack him as he gave Sarah a hug and a kiss and set her on his lap. "See you in a week, sweetheart," he told her. She smiled at him, and then turned to bury her face in Matthew's plaid shirt.

"Looks like she can handle transitions just fine," he remarked, trying not to sound smug.

"Yes, that's a very good thing," Malachai agreed.

"All right," Andrew stood up, wanting to get Matthew out of there as soon as possible. He was behaving well now, but who knew how long that would last. "We'll be going now. Thanks for your hospitality and we'll be back with Sarah in a week."

"Sounds good!" Helene replied and followed them out the door. "See you then!"

* * *

"So…where did Amelia and Andrew go?" Charlotte asked Thomas as he dusted the living room.

"They went out to help Matthew with something and then they were going to run some other errands," Thomas explained. "They should be back in a few hours."

"Oh, give me that!" Charlotte replied irritably, taking the duster and hurling it on the floor. "Why are you always doing some kind of housework every time I see you?"

"Because I have to earn my keep," Thomas told her. "It's only right."

"Oh, you poor boy," Charlotte said and put a hand against his cheek while he moved to hold her against himself. "You've had to work for everything, haven't you? Hasn't anyone ever given you something just out of kindness?"

Thomas smiled at her. "Well, you gave me your friendship," he told her. "That's something, isn't it?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded, wanting to wrap the poor boy up and hide him away from the world. "Yes, it is."

Thomas tilted her face up toward his and then slowly leaned down to kiss her. She didn't hesitate to kiss him back and even (although it was preceded by a slight hesitation) pushed his shirt up a little so she could feel his muscles.

They pulled apart and Thomas asked, "Are you worried that someone will come in here and see us? Do you want to stop?"

"No," Charlotte replied. "I don't care who sees us. Let's keep going."

And so they did, not even noticing when Amelia and Andrew got home and came upon them, watched in surprise for a few seconds, and then quietly stepped away to let them be together in peace with a promise that Damon wouldn't hear about it.

* * *

"Poor Viktor," Elijah said to Selina as they lay in bed in their underwear and he pointed the remote at the television in their room to begin their screening of Franco Zeffirelli's _Romeo and Juliet._ "I really hope that he and Amanda are making the best of their vacation without any distractions."

"Yeah," Selina nodded and laid her head on Elijah's chest as the menu popped up on the screen and the theme song filled the room. "Poor man. But like we told him, I think all of them will come out just fine since Alistair is there with them. If they didn't have him, things would be worse, but they do, so no worries."

"Yes," Elijah nodded and kissed Selina's hair before pressing play. Selina shut her mouth and kept her arms around her husband and her eyes on the screen as Laurence Olivier began the narration of the two families of Verona, whose children fall in love and die as a result of their families' enmity. It wasn't Selina's favorite (she'd much rather have watched a comedy) but she'd lost best out of five at rock, paper, scissors, and now, as promised, this is what she and Elijah were watching. She kept her eyes on it, but felt herself lapse into boredom, reaching for Elijah's bare thigh and running her hand over it. She thought he would scold her, but instead, he put his hand over hers and kissed her hair before shifting his body so that he was on his knees and facing away from the TV before pushing up the skirt of her pink teddy and slipping off her panties.

"But what about the movie?" She asked as he nibbled on her earlobe. "You wanted to watch it."

"Do you want me to stop?" Elijah asked as he slid his hands up her inner thighs and parted her legs to give her a good rub.

"No!" Selina shook her head and lay back on the mattress, her jaw dropping a little. "No, please don't."

"Good," Elijah smiled as he got out of bed and slipped off his boxers before taking her in his arms and pushing into her while nibbling on her neck. "That's what I hoped you would say."


	11. Getting What You Deserve

"I really have to thank you for taking us in for all this time," Thomas told Andrew and Amelia. "Just tell us when we've overstayed our welcome and we'll go. Or I will. I'm the odd man out here."

"Oh, no, don't be silly!" Amelia told him. "Stay as long as you want! It's no bother." She paused. "Unless you have a job you need to get back to or something. We wouldn't want to get in the way of that."

"Yes, my job," Thomas replied, his mind drifting back to his dreary night job cleaning up that dingy bar for way less money than he thought he deserved. "I actually called in my notice for that. I quit."

"You did?" Amelia asked while Charlotte cheered. "Why?"

"Cause I can do better," Thomas replied. "Before I came here, I thought that being a janitor was all I was good for, but that's changed."

"What would you like to do instead?" Amelia questioned.

"I have no idea," Thomas told her. "But I'm sure I'll think of something."

* * *

Finding a new position wasn't as easy as he thought though. Despite all the years that he'd been on the planet, he still didn't have much of an education, which made finding good prospects nearly impossible.

"Now I wish they wouldn't have been so okay with letting me go," Thomas sighed as he collapsed on the sofa after what seemed like several hours of looking at job postings, none of which seemed particularly promising. "What am I supposed to do with myself now?"

"You'll probably hate me for suggesting this," Charlotte told him. "But has it occurred to you that being a vampire, you don't necessarily need to work? You can use your powers to get what you want."

"Oh, I know that," Thomas told her. "I've known that since it happened. But I don't like feeling useless, you know? I've had to work my whole life. That's what I'm used to and I'm not sure I can just give it up."

"And that's good," Charlotte agreed. "But it sounds to me like after all you've been through, you're entitled to a bit of a break. Don't you want that?"

"I suppose," Thomas agreed. "I just don't want to feel like I'm imposing."

"You're not," Charlotte told him. "I promise." She paused and then called for Amelia and Andrew. "Are Thomas and I imposing on you two?"

"No, of course not," Andrew shook his head. "I like having another man in this house. It's a nice change."

"Why do you think you're imposing?" Amelia asked, coming to sit next to Thomas.

"Well, I quit my other job and I've been having some trouble finding something else," Thomas explained. "That's what happens when you don't have lots of education."

"Did you stop at eighth grade?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I did."

"Well, would you feel less useless if we focused on getting you educated while you were here?" Amelia wanted to know. "Would that be a good use of your time?"

"Yes, I would love that," Thomas nodded. "But would you let me pay for half? I couldn't let you shoulder the entire bill yourself."

"Well, when it comes time for you to have education that you need to pay for, if you choose to go that far, we'll think about that," Amelia told him.

"Thank you," Thomas told her and took her hand. "So much."

"You're welcome," Amelia replied.

"That was a very sweet thing you did for Thomas," Andrew commented. "You've really grown as a person since we came back, I think. You threw a fit at the idea of your daughter being educated, but you didn't hesitate with that boy."

"Well, how can I deny him help?" Amelia asked. "You heard what he said about wanting to do things with himself. That's noble. And just so you know, if Selina didn't have her own income and asked me for the same sort of help, now I'm at a point where I would feel comfortable giving it to her."

"Is that so?" Andrew asked. "That's a change."

"Well, I've been to school myself," Amelia told him. "You can't just have a tenth grade education and be a teacher anymore. Denying my daughter something I've already done myself would be hypocritical." She sighed. "If only Thomas' parents could see him now. I think they'd be proud of the person he became. Don't you?"

"Oh, I should think so," Andrew nodded. "I've only known him a short while and I'm proud of him. Such a good work ethic."

"Kind of reminds you of Matthew, but more laid back, doesn't it?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," Andrew nodded and put his arms around her. "It really does. Now, should we go sign him up for night school?"

"Yeah," Amelia agreed and headed for her computer. "I think we should."

* * *

"So time is changing?" Selina asked Helene when she came to tell them about what was going on. "How in the world is that?"

Helene sighed. "Well, in my case, I assume that it's because wherever they are, my parents have separated and are refusing to get back together. Klaus and Amy are separated too, and Adrian says that he's gonna be immune from all the time-changing craziness since Amy's not his mother, but I don't know."

"True," Selina nodded. "As long as wherever they are is after 1846, I'm gonna be there, so who knows what I could do to mess things up for Adrian?" She gasped. "And what about the rest of our kids!" She grabbed the lapels of Elijah's jacket and shook him, her eyes wide. "What are we going to do?!"

"Relax, relax," Elijah told her as he gently loosened her hold on him. "We might not even have anything to worry about now. Let's just wait and see, shall we?"

"Okay," Selina took a deep breath. "I suppose…I suppose I can do that."

"Good," Elijah told her as he massaged her shoulders. "Good for you."

"Sorry," Helene quickly apologized. "I didn't expect you to be more worried about this than I am."

"Oh, I'm not," Selina assured her, trying to control her breathing. "I just…no point in worrying since we can't do a thing about it, can we? Not without messing things up even more."

"Do you think it would really be messing things up even more if I went back and told my brother to be with Amy where he belongs?" Elijah asked.

"Who knows?" Helene shrugged. "The only good thing about this is that since my dad is back too and still has his mind, unlike everyone else, he should stop things from getting messed up too badly, or at least be able to fix them if they do."

"True," Elijah nodded. "That's just the sort of thing that we can depend on your father for." He paused. "Since you know Klaus isn't with Amy, is there any indication of who he _is_ with?"

"Not at the moment," Helene shook her head. "But if it will make you feel any better, I'll check with Adrian again. Maybe Selina's around just like she said and she and Klaus have gotten together somehow. That would be better than nothing, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Elijah muttered through his teeth. "Just perfect."

* * *

"Niklaus," Elijah said as he came down to dinner in a room lit only by the curtains being open just a crack to let in moonlight and a few candles. "I'm so proud you didn't pursue Amy today. Good for you."

"I've got a new project," Klaus said. "Alistair was so kind to remind me of it."

Elijah sighed. "Not that ridiculous plan to become a werewolf," he said.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "That." He then got to his feet as a young woman in a green dress entered the room. She had big blue eyes and her dark hair was piled on her head with a few wisps settled against her cheeks. Elijah groaned when he was just able to make out a pin that said "Votes for women" on her dress.

"Oh, damn," he groaned. "Not a suffragette! Niklaus, what have I told you about bringing people like that into this house?"

"Well, lovely to meet you too," she said sarcastically, then turned to Klaus. "Would you care to introduce me to this person?" She asked as she pushed her own chair back and sat down. "Though I don't really need to know him. He's just the sort that is stopping the world from progressing."

"This is my brother, Elijah," Klaus told her. "Elijah…this is Miss Warren."

Elijah scoffed. "Of course you're a Miss. No sane man would tolerate you."

"No, I am a Miss because there's no man in the world _I_ can tolerate," she shot back. "At least not long term when those who are marrying sorts are just as pigheaded as you are." She then turned around before Elijah could say another word, grabbed Klaus, and gave him a big kiss before sitting down and putting her napkin in her lap.

"That was a pretty display," Elijah told her.

"I'm glad you liked it," she smiled and gripped her soup spoon, making every effort to slurp loudly while keeping her eyes on her nemesis.

Every slurp made him wince, which caused both Klaus and Alistair (in spite of himself) to laugh.

Finally, Elijah threw his towel down on his chair, excused himself, and told one of the footmen that he would prefer to finish dinner in his room.

"I think you hurt my brother's feelings," Klaus told Selina.

"Are you telling me I should go and apologize to him?" She asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"Oh, no," Klaus shook his head. "I was just making an observation and wondering if you could keep up the good work."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Selina told him.

Elijah had peace and quiet until he was preparing for bed and heard an awful racket coming through the wall next door.

"Would you like me to see what that is?" His valet asked.

"That's kind of you," Elijah told him and reached for his bathrobe. "But I think I can handle it." He headed next door and opened the door, crying out for the pair to stop whatever it was they were doing so he could get some sleep. When the situation actually presented itself to his eyes, he was overcome by cold sweat and anger. He strode into the room and began beating his brother over and over again. He had no idea why he was so upset.

Miss Warren watched all this with an odd look of concern and she said, "All right, all right, stop!" When he didn't, she reached over and slapped him hard, then he woke up, breathing heavily as Selina's big blue eyes stared back at him.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "You were thrashing and kicking and punching. What happened? Did you have a bad dream?"

"The past…you and Klaus…together…naked…" He got out and then fell back onto pillow, unable to say more.

"Poor man," Selina replied and kissed him. "I thought I would be the one worried more about this time thing, but it turns out that it's you."

"Apparently," Elijah told her wearily. "Apparently."


	12. A New Brother

"Is there anything I can do to help you with your nightmares?" Selina asked Elijah after they both dealt with another night of him having nightmares of a hypothetical past.

"No," Elijah said, putting his arms around her. "Not more than you've done, anyway." He then sat down and drank his coffee. "Normally, I would use school to get my mind off of things, but do you realize that people are threatening to shut the place down because of the whole government mess going on in the magical world?"

"Yes, I heard about that," Selina nodded. "The school could close down any day now. Good thing we have things to fall back on if that happens. I feel bad for the people that don't, though."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Me too."

Selina joined him at the breakfast table, passed him a blood bag, and said, "So…what do you think we should do today? What can we do to distract you so that you don't have your bad thoughts in the daytime too? Stop off at Laura's? She might be able to help you better than I can since I'm the source of your problems. Yeah, let's do that!"

"All right," Elijah nodded. "Let me get my coffee first, but sure, we can do whatever you think will help."

"What's the problem now?" Laura asked when Elijah and Selina were sitting in her living room. "You usually only stop by when there's some sort of crisis."

"We'll try to visit more for other reasons in the future, but here's the deal," Selina laid it out succinctly. "Your father heard that your uncle, Astrid, Alistair, and Amy got sent back in time and their actions were changing history, and ever since, he's had nightmares about things changing so that he and I are pulled apart and we don't know how to fix it."

"Well, in all honesty, I don't know what I can really do to ease your mind about something like that," Laura told him. "I mean, it's not like I'm a witch or anything."

"Why don't you try giving him a hug?" Selina suggested. "When I do it, it sort of exacerbates everything and we don't want that."

So Laura hugged him and tried to whisper soothing things in his ear. "I've been working on massage," She said. "Edward tells me I'm pretty good. You wanna give it a shot?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded. "That might help. And you could tell me stories about what's been going on in your life."

"All right," Laura nodded. "And don't worry, I gave Katherine the day off, so she won't be around to make things worse for you."

They headed away, this last remark giving Selina pause as she sat frozen on the sofa. What if things were going on between Elijah and Katherine in the past and _that_ would be how she and Elijah got separated?

Feeling overcome, she quickly wrote Laura and Elijah a note and left it on the sofa, then began the walk to her mother and Uncle Andrew's, hoping the fresh air would help her clear her head so she didn't end up being driven crazy like her husband.

* * *

"Thank you for all the help you've given me," Thomas told Amelia. "Between you, your husband, and Charlotte, I know what it's like to have a family. It's nice. Not exactly what I pictured, but even better."

"What did you picture?" Amelia asked, sitting next to him. "If it's not too personal, will you tell me?"

"Well," Thomas told her, "I actually knew a lot more about my parents than the other kids at the orphanage. Miss Agatha who ran the place said that my mother (or rather, the woman she thought was my mother) was really hesitant to give me up. But she did it anyway and she was crying the whole time."

"What did she look like?" Amelia asked. "Do you know?"

"She had the same features as you," Thomas told her. "And the man…he was tall with really sad dark eyes and salt and pepper hair. The woman gave her name as Mrs. Andrews, told me to have a good life and for Miss Agatha to take good care of me, and then they left. And she always said it was kind of strange that I wasn't the age babies usually were when they were brought to her. I was about a week old, as if my mother had really struggled with the decision to give me away."

Amelia gave a choking sob and nodded. "I did," she said, looking him in the eye and trying to keep herself from crying as he put his arms around her. "All these years, I've had this picture of when I gave you up, that it happened right after you were born so I wouldn't have to remember how badly I wanted to keep you. But I couldn't. It wouldn't have been good for you. Growing up the way you did was much better."

Thomas' jaw dropped. " _You're_ Mrs. Andrews?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "And the man who came with me to the orphanage that day…he wasn't your father. He was the doctor who delivered you. He came with me to drop you off because he thought I shouldn't do something like that alone."

"Wow," Thomas smiled. "That…that's completely unexpected." He chuckled. "I can't believe you're my mother."

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "I'm pretty sure it's true. Same birthday, same name, same orphanage. Other stuff the same too. I don't see how it wouldn't be true."

"Well," Thomas got out. "I just…I don't know what to say. I really wasn't expecting this."

"I really wasn't either," Amelia agreed. "And I just want you to know that I don't expect you to get close to me or call me affectionate nicknames yet or anything like that. Since we just found all this out, I know that might be strange for you."

"If the guy who came with you to drop me off wasn't my father, who was?" Thomas wanted to know.

"It's Andrew," Amelia told him. "He's your father. He was killed during a poker game gone wrong while I was pregnant and that's why I felt like I needed to give you up. It wasn't because I didn't want you. I just didn't feel I would do a good job raising a second child without their father when I struggled enough with the first one as it is."

"I have a sibling?" Thomas asked. "Who is it?"

"Selina," Amelia told him. "The brunette with the big blue eyes. I believe you've met her."

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "But it will be nice to meet her as my sister."

"I'm sure it will be," Amelia nodded. "It's strange. I feel like we should both be more surprised about this. But we're not."

"I guess it explains why I felt so comfortable with both you and Andrew since I first met you," Thomas told her. "I just couldn't figure out why until now." He paused. "And did you say that Andrew was _killed_ while you were pregnant? If that's the case, how is he here now?"

"He and I were both brought back from the dead by a group of sneaky young warlocks," Amelia explained. "It was a bit surprising at the time, but it's turned out to be a really fortunate thing."

"I can't say I disagree with that," Thomas told her.

"Who else do you think we should tell?" Amelia asked. "Do you want to just let everyone know now, or would you like to wait?"

"Well, I think that Andrew and Selina should know at least," Thomas replied. "Don't you think? And maybe Charlotte, too. But other people can wait to hear."

"All right," Amelia agreed and pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Let's do it."

The first person they told was Andrew.

"Are you sure about this?" He wanted to know. "I've already been disappointed in situations like this so many times. I don't know if I can handle it happening again."

"I'm very sure," Amelia told him. "I promise."

"All right," Andrew nodded and then looked at Thomas, a small smile on his lips. "Would you like to have a drink?" He asked.

"Sure," Thomas told him. "I would love that."

* * *

Telling Charlotte was harder. She'd decided to visit her sons in order to give Thomas and Amelia some peace and quiet, and as Damon and Stefan were still adjusting to their mother being with another man, they didn't greet him kindly when he showed up at Lucy and Damon's house.

"What do you want?" Stefan asked him gruffly. "Can't you see we're talking with our mother?"

"I only need a few minutes," Thomas told him. "And then I'll be out of your way, I promise."

"Don't listen to them," Charlotte told him. "Come with me. I'll find somewhere we can talk in private."

They headed off and when Stefan and Damon heard the sound of a door closing, they ran to stand in the hallway and try and listen from the other side of the door.

"What?" They heard Charlotte say. "What do you _mean_ Amelia is your mother?"

"She told me," Thomas replied. "I told her about my time at the orphanage and what I heard about the people that brought me in and she said that the woman was her."

"Well, isn't that an interesting surprise?" Charlotte got out. She sounded shocked.

"You're not upset about this, are you?" Thomas asked her.

"No, of course not," Charlotte said. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thank you," Thomas replied.

Stefan and Damon quickly sped away from the door when they heard Charlotte and Thomas coming toward it so their mother wouldn't know they'd been snooping.

When Charlotte and Thomas emerged, they watched them embrace and kiss from their hiding space, and then when Thomas strode off, they came to walk with their mother back to the living room.

"Were you two listening at the door?" Charlotte asked, eyes narrowed. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough that we're concerned about you," Stefan told her as they walked. "You know that we just want you to be happy, but how do you think that Amelia's gonna feel about her best friend dating her son? Especially since they just realized that they're related. She might feel like you're taking him away from her."

"Don't be silly!" Charlotte snapped. "She was pleased when Damon and Selina were a couple. I don't see how this could be any different. She would be happy for us. You two are the only ones I would think of as a problem!"

"Well, you don't know that for sure, do you?" Damon told her. "Do you really want to just blurt out that you want her son to be more of a friend and risk ruining your friendship? And what if, when you're on the outs with Amelia, Thomas decides to end things with you too? Cause if he has to make a choice, you know he's gonna pick his family."

"Oh, you don't know that!" Charlotte spat. "Stop saying nonsense!"

"Don't be mad at him for stating a fact," Stefan told her. "We care about you and we just don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't believe that!" Charlotte shook her head. "What I think is that you don't want me to be happy, or have any of my attention taken away from you, so you're trying to fill my mind with doubt. It's not going to work, and you two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Okay, fine," Damon replied and stepped back. "We'll leave you be. But when you get disappointed and left all alone, don't come to us expecting sympathy."

"I won't," Charlotte replied. "Don't worry."

* * *

By the time Thomas returned from seeing Charlotte, he found Selina and her mother sitting on the sofa.

"So did you tell her the news?" He asked.

"No," Amelia shook her head. "I thought I would wait until we could both tell her together."

"What news?" Selina asked. "What's going on?"

"Well, you know how I told you that you had a brother but I gave him up because I didn't feel like I could raise him?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Ever since you told me, I've been bummed because I wished I could have met him."

"Well…" Amelia gestured at Thomas. "Ta-da! That's him! He got turned into a vampire and that's why he's still around."

"What?" Selina asked, her big eyes getting wider. "He's my brother? When did you find this out?"

"Just today!" Amelia said. "It was the weirdest thing."

"Wow," Selina said, looking at Thomas. "I can't believe you're my brother! Well, brother _and_ cousin."

"What?" Thomas asked.

"My dad is your uncle," Selina told him. "Our dads are brothers. So, much like many of my own children whose fathers are brothers, I'm related to you both ways: the mutual mother and the father who's the brother of your father." She paused. "Don't worry. I'll be a good sister."

"I'm not worried at all," Thomas smiled at her. "You seem nice enough."

"I try to be," Selina nodded. "Is there any sort of baked good that you like? I feel like this situation calls for celebratory baking."

"Chocolate chip cookies?" Thomas requested. "I know that's kind of conventional, but…"

"No, it's fine," Selina smiled. "It's been a while since I've done those, so it will be good practice."

Because Selina came to visit Andrew and Amelia often enough, the kitchen was fully stocked with everything she needed for her baking. She made up the dough and then called Thomas into the kitchen, handing him the batter-covered spoon that she'd stirred the chips in with. "Wanna lick the spoon?" She asked. "I usually do it myself, but I wanted you to this time."

"Thanks, but…I thought eating dough was bad for you," Thomas told her.

"Oh, I've been eating dough for years and nothing bad happened to _me,_ " Selina told him. "Come on, give it a try."

"All right," Thomas said and ate a little. "Wow," he said. "Now I know why people like eating cookie dough so much."

"I know, right?" Selina winked. She then made rows of cookie dough balls until the pan was full and put them in the oven to bake. "You won't have long to wait," she promised him. "Twelve minutes."

"Great!" Thomas smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Selina told him.

They headed back to the living room and chatted some more.

Andrew came home from work just as the cookies finished baking. He stopped inside the door and inhaled deeply as the scent of chocolate washed over him. "Is Selina visiting?" He called.

"Yes," Selina called back. "I am. And having a talk with my brother. Those are celebratory cookies."

"Wonderful," he said as she came in, put on a glove to protect her hands, pulled the cookie sheet out of the oven, and set the cookies down on a rack to cool. "Now don't eat any of those yet," she warned her uncle. "We don't want you to burn yourself."

"I won't," Andrew said, remembering the one time he hadn't listened to that advice. "The lesson is well-learned."

When they'd finally cooled, she presented one to Thomas. "Good?" She asked after he took a bite, getting chocolate on his chin.

"Oh, yes!" Thomas assured her through a full mouth. "Very good. You're a genius!"

" _Now_ can I have some?" Andrew asked her.

"Well, yeah," Amelia nodded. "If Thomas is eating them, I don't see what's stopping you."

"Good point," Andrew nodded.

Then, Amelia looked at her son. "Any more questions?" She asked. "I know you probably have lots more."

"Only one," Thomas replied as he looked around him. "I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but…what's with the decorating scheme of this house?"

"It was Andrew's and my attempt to mesh our styles together," Amelia said. "Strange, I know, but….it's gotten us in more design magazines than you would think. Any other questions."

"Not at the moment," Thomas stood up. "Now I just want to enjoy the cookies."

"All right," Amelia nodded and followed him. "That's a good idea too."


	13. Cut To The Bone

"So tell me again," Elijah asked for what seemed like the thousandth time. "That boy that Charlotte likes is your brother? The one that your mother took to the orphanage?"

"They think it's true," Selina nodded. "And I don't have any reason to doubt them. Aren't you happy? I'm happy."

"I know you want a sibling, but we really can't be too careful about this," Elijah cautioned. "A poor young man shows up out of nowhere claiming to be your brother? What if he's just after your mother's money and playing on her vulnerability to get it?"

Selina burst into giggles at this despite how serious Elijah's tone was. "You are so unreasonably suspicious!" She said. "No more watching the soap opera channel for you. I don't think he has any angle. Now if he'd said immediately that he was Mom's son, that would be one thing, cause that was something she never even told _me,_ but I think it's legit."

"All right," Elijah sighed. "Whatever you say."

"You're not going to give up on this whole 'he's an imposter out to steal the family money' issue, are you?" Selina asked him dryly.

"I think that for your mother's sake, we should at least talk to her about the possibility," Elijah nodded. "I bet she hasn't even considered it. You'd think that your uncle would at least, because he's a lawyer, but apparently not."

"I suppose you _could_ mention it, even though they'll probably just laugh at you and say you're being ridiculous," Selina warned. "And when you mention it, mention it to Uncle Andrew before you mention it to my mother. Cause she's so happy about the prospect of having her son back that I don't want to wreck it for her until or unless there's definite proof of what you're worried about."

"Oh, all right," Elijah sighed. "I'll talk to your uncle. But I just…why isn't anyone in your family practical? Why do I have to think of all these things myself because no one else will?"

"Because that's your purpose!" Selina smiled and gave him a kiss. "Everyone needs a purpose in life and yours is to think of things that we're too optimistic and carefree to think of! And you're so good at it."

"Yes," Elijah nodded and straightened his jacket with a smile. "I guess I am, aren't I?"

"You are," Selina agreed and gave him a push toward the door. "Now go talk to Uncle Andrew before you drive yourself crazy with all this worry about my brother, okay?"

"All right," Elijah nodded. "I'm going."

* * *

"You think _what?"_ Andrew asked in surprise. Out of courtesy to Elijah cause he could tell the man was genuinely worried for him, he was trying not to laugh at what he'd just been told.

"I know you heard me," Elijah told him firmly, leaning forward so that he was looking into Andrew's dark eyes. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'm sorry," Andrew shook his head. "I just find what you say really hard to believe."

"How could you?" Elijah asked in exasperation. "A boy that you've never met before shows up and makes Amelia think that he's the son she wanted so desperately to bond with. As wealthy as the two of you are, you have to think of what his motives are to say such a thing."

Andrew scoffed at this. "You sound exactly like my father. I never listened to him and though I feel you mean well, I think your worry is misplaced."

"Somehow I knew you'd say that," Elijah nodded as he got to his feet. "I've clearly done all I can do, but if something bad happens to you and Amelia, or this boy gives you trouble, you can't say you weren't warned."

"Yes, I'll remember that, but don't expect me to grovel and thank you," Andrew told him firmly.

Elijah left then, thinking to himself that it was probably Andrew, more than her father, from whom Selina had picked up her impudent personality.

* * *

"Let me guess," Selina said as Elijah strode into the house gnashing his teeth and sitting down hard on the sofa. "It didn't go well, did it?"

"No," Elijah huffed. "And I don't understand why! You'd think a person would appreciate a warning like that!" He saw that she was working on a crossword puzzle and reached for it. "Do you need help with that?"

"Okay," Selina nodded and handed it to him. She really didn't need the help, but having a chance to show off how intelligent he was got Elijah out of bad moods like the one he was in now. "And it's sweet of you to worry about Mama and Uncle Andrew, but I think this is one of the cases where you have to let them make their own mistakes, if it turns out to be a problem in the end."

"I suppose," Elijah told her as he wrote that the six-letter word for Death's tool was _scythe._ "But it just seems like such a waste to let something go wrong when I could have prevented it."

"I know," Selina nodded, reaching out to pat his leg. "You want to save everyone and it drives you nuts when you can't. But maybe…maybe I could think of something I need your help with."

Elijah smiled at her hand near his leg. "You know, you have a point," he got out. "Just what did you have in mind?"

She stood up, kissed him, and led him to their room while she gripped his belt. "Come on," she said as they undressed. "I'll show you."

"Oh, I don't need to be shown," he told her with a grin as they both climbed naked on to the mattress and he planted his lips all over her warm porcelain body and she let out a giggle. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

* * *

"I think we need to talk," Charlotte told Amelia. "About Thomas." She'd appeared so suddenly in Amelia's vanity mirror that it caused Amelia to mess up her eyeliner.

"What do we need to talk about?" Amelia asked, turning to face Charlotte with tracks of black trailing off the side of her eyes. " _What_ about Thomas?"

Charlotte swallowed. "I came because I want to assure you that our friendship is more important to me than he is, so since this is a weird situation, I'll step away from everything and let you have time with your son. I think that's best for all of us."

Amelia's jaw dropped a little as Charlotte disappeared without waiting for her to respond. "Oh…all right. Thanks, I guess…if that's what you want."

It was only after Charlotte had disappeared that she realized she should have done something more supportive like say that despite her and Thomas' newfound relationship, him being with her best friend wouldn't be a problem, since they were both adults and since when was it her business?

She tried to call Charlotte back and give her the okay that she clearly needed to have, but she didn't come. "Wonderful," Amelia told herself, resting her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm. "I've screwed up bad and now I can't fix it. I'm the worst friend in the world."

* * *

But it soon occurred to her that if she couldn't talk to Charlotte, she could talk to Thomas. The ideal time came when he asked her if she'd seen Charlotte or knew why she hadn't been around for a while.

"I hope I haven't done anything to offend her," He said. "She's always had a bit of a problem with our age difference, but I didn't think it would actually motivate her to run away, especially without saying 'Goodbye' first."

"Of all the things that could be an issue for you two, the one that bothers her most is the age difference?" Amelia asked. "How interesting!" She paused and then confessed what she'd done.

"Charlotte came to me a few days ago and told me that, given the fact that you're my son, she'd feel kind of awkward about dating you cause it might hurt my feelings. And I might…I might not have done as good a job as I should have of assuring her that I was okay with your relationship. That's why she's gone now and hasn't come back."

" _Are_ you all right with me having affection for your friend?" Thomas asked. "You've already done so much for me that I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it doesn't make me uncomfortable," Amelia assured him. "I'm fine with it if you're both happy. Now all we have to do is convince Charlotte of that."

"You think we can?" Thomas asked.

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "But I believe it might take a while, so prepare to be patient."

* * *

"We should do something for Charlotte," Lucy said to Felicity when they hadn't seen their 'mother in law' for a while, although from her weeping and window rattling, they knew she was in the house. "I know our boyfriends are over the moon that she's ended things with Thomas, but that doesn't seem right somehow. I think they had a hand in it."

"I think they did too," Felicity agreed and went over to question Stefan. Well, not so much question as beat a confession out of him. "You ruined your mother's relationship, didn't you?" She asked, the pillow hitting him with every word as he reached up with his arms to protect his face.

"Not the face!" He cried. "Damn it, Lissy! Not the face! Or the hair!" He glared at her as he moved a strand of hair back into place. "What is it you're going on about now?"

"It wasn't nice to break up your mother's relationship with Thomas," Felicity chided. "How do you even comfort a ghost?"

"We didn't ruin her relationship on purpose," Damon corrected.

"Oh, really?" Lucy asked. "What did you do, then?"

"We simply advised her that Amelia might not like her best friend dating her son," Damon told her. "That's all. It was Mother's choice to actually end the relationship."

"But you gave her that advice knowing that she would most likely listen to you!" Lucy huffed. "I think that wasn't very nice of you."

"If you expect us to be nice all the time, Lucy, then you clearly don't know us very well," Stefan told her. "My nice days are behind me."

"I don't think they are," Felicity told her aunt and then looked at Stefan. "I think you're just trying to save face in front of your brother. Don't you want your mother to be happy? If you were able to help me when I was cutting and miserable, I think you can help her too."

"All right," Stefan replied. "I suppose if you expect Damon and me to be grownups, I can do it for a little bit, cause we know he sure won't!"

"Thank you," Lucy told him and glared at her husband. "Are you coming too?"

"How about I help by giving Mother a drink if she needs it?" Damon suggested. "That's really more my area of expertise than all that touchy-feely stuff."

"All right," Lucy replied. It was better than nothing.

When they found Charlotte in Damon's room, she was still crying.

"Sorry I've been keeping you awake at night with all my sobs," she said with a sniffle. "I must be. But I'm just…I'm really sad about having to leave Thomas. He's such a nice boy. But Amelia said that us being together would make her uncomfortable and I don't want that."

"If you want my honest opinion, I think you gave up too soon," Stefan told her as he sat next to her and took her hand. "You get told once that someone is uncomfortable with what you want and you just give up? That's not the mother I know."

"I know this is odd behavior for me, and I suppose I _could_ try and talk to Amelia again sometime when she's had time to adjust to Thomas being her son. But now it's too soon. I have to make peace with that and stop crying. I have to be patient. I can do it." Charlotte tried to get more light in her blue eyes.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked.

"Yes," Charlotte said firmly, wiping tears out of her eyes as he put his arms around her. "I can. I have to. There's no other way around it."


	14. Conflicts With The Living

"Well, look who finally got to come visit?" Elijah pointed out with a smile as Selina brought Sarah into their house. It was Matthew and Christine's week with her, but Matthew had wanted to meet Thomas, so Selina had agreed to take Sarah for a while.

"Don't you say anything about how foolish my dad was for wanting to get to know Thomas," Selina warned her husband. "I know you still think he's out to steal Mama's money, even if you don't bring it up anymore."

"I've decided not to bring it up unless I see actual proof," Elijah told her. "If your mother wants to be robbed, that's her own business."

"Good for you," Selina smiled. "I'm so proud of you for thinking that way."

Elijah then turned his attention to Sarah. "I hope she doesn't do any magic," he said. "Or else we'll be in trouble."

"Actually," Selina informed him as she sat down next to him on the couch and watched Sarah play with his tie, "Christine told me that somehow, Sarah's figured out when it's okay for her to do magic and when it isn't. She doesn't do it much with her and Daddy anymore."

"Well, good," Elijah smiled and ruffled Sarah's hair. "That's a big relief." He paused and gave Selina a look. "What do you think we should do with her? She's probably used to being constantly stimulated." He paused. "I know! I still have some of those educational videos that we used for the other children." He handed Sarah to Selina. "You watch her while I go get them."

"You poor kid," Selina said to her sister. "This is gonna be a _long_ day for you. But look on the bright side: at least he's not making you watch opera."

Despite Elijah's best efforts to entertain his granddaughter, it became clear that his methods were not her favorite. It didn't many minutes of "Baby's First Mozart Video" for them to realize that because Sarah blew up the TV.

"Oh, my god!" Elijah's jaw dropped and he scrambled to his feet as Selina did the best she could to shield her sister from the glass. "What in the hell just happened?"

"Apparently, she doesn't want to watch Mozart anymore," Selina said, and gave a weak laugh. "Why don't I take her outside for a bit and get her some fresh air?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded, his voice shaky. "You go and do that, and I'll tend to all this." He looked up at what remained of the television and gave a little whimper.

"How are you planning to fix this?" Selina asked. "All the magical people we would usually call for help are in the past."

"I know," Elijah sighed wearily. "It's a shame I can't go back to the past too."

"I'm glad you can't," Selina replied. "If you did, who knows how long it would take to get you back?"

"I know," Elijah agreed. "I just wish I could do _something_ to help that situation. My brother is running amok and who knows what trouble he'll cause without some sort of supervision?"

"Between you in the past and Alistair, I think Klaus is being kept reasonably under control," Selina assured her husband. "Don't worry yourself sick about that. Why don't you come outside with Sarah and me and deal with the TV later?"

"Yes, of course," Elijah nodded. "Just let me change my clothes and I'll be out soon."

"All right," Selina smiled and held onto her sister as they made their way toward the backdoor. "See you in a few minutes."

* * *

"You had to break off the relationship with the woman you love?" Matthew asked his nephew as he, Thomas, and Christine sat at the edge of a dock with fishing poles dangling in the water. "Why was that?"

"Because she's Amelia's best friend and I thought it would be awkward," Thomas replied. "And I just discovered that Amelia was my mother, so I don't want to mess up our relationship before it's even had a chance to turn into something solid."

"And do you intend to go back to Charlotte once you and Amelia have gotten on more solid ground?" Matthew asked. "I really think you should."

"You do?" Thomas asked in surprise, then paused when he felt the strong tug at the end of his pole. He began reeling it in.

"Do you think you got something big?" Christine asked, pulling her pole out of the water. "Do you need some help?"

"No, thanks," Thomas gave a tug and pulled his fish out of the water. "I got it." Then he turned back to Matthew. "I'm surprised you're suggesting I continue a relationship with Charlotte. Since she's a ghost, anyone else would tell me I'm foolish."

"Well, would you _like_ to continue your relationship with Charlotte even though she's a ghost?" Matthew asked.

"Of course," Thomas nodded. "I like her."

"Well, that answers that question then. If you can make it work, who am I to tell you otherwise?" Matthew said and put a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Good luck with whatever you choose to do."

"Thank you," Thomas replied, then went back to fishing and pondering about how he was going to talk to Charlotte.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Damon and Lucy's, Charlotte was really struggling about what to do with herself. Saying that she'd be able to accept Thomas' decision to part ways was one thing. Actually believing it was another.

"What do you two think I should do about Thomas?" Charlotte asked Felicity and Lucy. "I know what my sons would say, and I don't think that's the right answer. Should I have fought for him?"

"Not if you think that it would risk your relationship with Grandma Amelia," Lucy told her. "At least not yet, anyway. The problem here is that you don't know how Grandma Amelia will react to you dating her son. If you just talked to her about it and she gave you an answer, I think it would be all right to pursue Thomas then."

"But what if she tells me that my being with Thomas would make her uncomfortable?" Charlotte asked.

"Then you'll have to decide which relationship does more for you," Felicity told her. "The one with Grandma Amelia, or the one with Thomas. But shouldn't the answer to that be obvious, though?"

"Yes," Charlotte said immediately. "I think I'll go talk to Amelia. Right now."

* * *

Unlike the last time she and Amelia had spoken, Charlotte appeared to Amelia much more cautiously this time.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

"All right," Amelia nodded, putting her book down. "What about? Thomas again?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded. "I'm…I'm very lonely without him, Amelia."

"I thought you would be," Amelia nodded. "I don't even know why you left him in the first place."

"Really?" Charlotte asked. "I left because I thought it would be awkward for you if I was in a relationship with your son."

"No, actually, he and I talked about this, and I said I was fine with it," Amelia replied. "So if you want him, you should go and get him. He went out with Matthew and Christine early this morning, but I bet he'll be back soon."

"Would you mind if I waited for him?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course not," Amelia assured her. "Go ahead."

So Charlotte waited for him in the living room, and when he returned, Christine and Matthew quickly strode off to talk to Andrew, leaving Thomas and Charlotte alone.

"Please tell me you're here for the reason I think you are," Thomas told her.

"Yes," Charlotte nodded. "I've really missed you."

"I missed you too," Thomas replied. "Would you like to go out with me?"

"Of course," Charlotte nodded. "But where would we go? It's not like I can eat or anything like that."

"Let's just walk," Thomas said. "Under the moon and all. That's romantic enough."

So they went out for a walk with Charlotte making herself visible only to Thomas' eyes. When they'd been strolling for a while, a young woman bumped into Thomas and dropped her purse, things spilling out of it onto the pavement because it was unzipped.

"Sorry about that," she quickly apologized. She had a heart-shaped face, dark eyes, and curly dark hair. "I'm so clumsy sometimes."

"It's fine," Thomas replied and helped her to her feet and then assisted her in getting the things back in her purse.

"Thank you," she told him when everything was picked up. "You know, I was nearly mugged yesterday, so it was nice to have a handsome Samaritan help me today."

"It's my pleasure," Thomas replied. "Do you live near here? Would you like me to walk you home so nothing bad happens to you again?"

"Sure," she smiled as Charlotte trailed behind and tried not to feel too offended. After all, being nice was just Thomas' way. But they were holding hands and every second of that got her _this close_ to being filled with rage.

They got the girl home and then when he came back to Charlotte, he apologized. "Sorry about that," he said. "I didn't mean to interrupt our alone time."

"No, it's…it's fine," Charlotte sighed. "She needed help and it was very fortunate that you were there to give it to her."

"Thank you for understanding," Thomas replied.

They walked a little while longer and then headed back to Amelia and Andrew's.

"So," Amelia prompted with a smile. "How did the date go?"

"Not bad," Charlotte scowled. "Until we literally ran into a live girl. She was touching him and smiling at him and things like that. Very rude, if you think about it."

"Did she know you were there?" Amelia asked.

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "I made it so only he could see me. But he was receptive to her flirting anyway. That's the bright side to being alive, I guess."

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "I can't deny it's helped me."

"How did you do it?" Charlotte pressed. "I'd like to know."

"I really can't tell you," Amelia shrugged. "I just got lucky."

"That's not a problem," Charlotte told her, her blue eyes full of fire. "I can figure it out myself."

"Good luck!" Amelia called.

"Thank you," Charlotte told her, and then went back to Lucy and Damon's to have a look at the stuff in Lucy's library to see if there was anything there that could help her with coming back to life.


	15. The Resurrectionist

"Can I ask how it was that you and Andrew got brought back to life?" Charlotte asked Amelia. "I looked in Lucy and Damon's library and I can't find anything that would be practical."

"Well, honestly, I think that if you believe you can find a practical way to raise the dead, then you're out of luck," Amelia told her. "It's all ridiculous and you have to go to great lengths to get it done."

"Please just tell me how you did it," Charlotte instructed. "I'm sure I can handle the rest."

Amelia gave her a look. "You're not gonna let this go until I tell you how, are you?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "Based on what happened with Thomas and me the other night, I realized that we don't have much of a future unless he's a ghost or I'm alive. So that's why I'm doing this." She paused. "If you don't want me to be with your son, just tell me. It's making you uncomfortable, isn't it?"

"No, it's fine for you to be with Thomas," Amelia told her. "I don't know him that well yet. You probably know him better than I do. Why disrupt something that's already working? It might be better if we all three (well, four, if you count Andrew) went through this whole process together. No, it's not you being with Thomas that worries me. But the idea of you coming back to life."

" _You_ did it," Charlotte pointed out. "And you and Andrew seem to be doing just fine."

"We got lucky," Amelia corrected. "Especially since the bunch of boys who brought us back were all amateurs who really had no idea what they were doing. You could have something go wrong, you know. And good luck finding someone to help you, since resurrection of the dead is technically illegal in the magical world."

"Oh, I'm sure I can find someone to help me," Charlotte replied. "Don't you worry about that."

* * *

She disappeared and Amelia let out a sigh and went to find Andrew. "Charlotte wants to be alive again," she said and sat next to him on the sofa. "She and Thomas must've had some sort of fight when they were out the other night or something and now she doesn't feel like she can be with him unless she's alive."

"Well, did you tell her that there's only a very slim chance she'll be able to achieve that and the only reason why we're where we are is because we got lucky?" Andrew asked.

"Yes, I did," Amelia sighed heavily. "But she seems determined to try and get her life back anyway. Do you think we should warn Thomas?"

"I think that would be kinder than having him find out suddenly that a woman he believed to be dead is alive again," Andrew agreed. "Let's do it."

They found Thomas on the computer looking at colleges and trade schools and Andrew told him, "Thomas, I think we need to talk. Could you take a break for just a minute?"

"Of course," Thomas nodded and stood up. "Is there a problem? Have I done something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," Amelia assured him quickly. "It's just that Charlotte has made a decision we feel you should know about."

"If you feel I should know about it, I'll ask her myself instead of hearing it second hand," Thomas replied. "I feel it's only right to let her be the one to tell me since it's her decision."

"All right," Amelia told him. "You go ahead and talk to her. She's probably at Damon and Lucy's house."

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I figured as much." He paused. "May I borrow your car, Amelia?"

"Of course," she told him. "The keys are by the phone."

"Thank you," Thomas said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He then drove to Lucy and Damon's, where he was met with a less than warm reception.

"Don't tell me you're here to see my mother," Damon told him.

"Yes, that is why I'm here," Thomas replied. "We need to talk. Amelia told me she's thinking of doing something foolish and I want to try and talk her out of it."

Damon still didn't move, but tilted his head back and yelled over his shoulder. "Mother!" He called to Charlotte. "Thomas is here and wants to talk to you. Should I send him away?"

"No, for heaven's sake," Charlotte said as she appeared at his shoulder. "Step aside and let him in. It's not nice to just let him stand in the doorway."

Damon growled and reluctantly stepped aside to allow Thomas to come in.

"It's so nice to see you!" Charlotte told him. "What brings you here?"

"Are you plotting to bring yourself back to life?" Thomas asked her. "Amelia told me that you were."

"And you seem upset by that," Charlotte told him, her brow furrowing. "Why? You know that's the only way you and I can have a real relationship. Otherwise you'll always be thinking, (even if it's deep down), that you want live women because you just do. You don't have to deny it. In a way, I understand. That's why I'm doing this."

"But how will you do it?" Thomas asked. "What possible way could you find to bring yourself back from the dead?"

"Well, it happened to Amelia and Andrew, so there has to be some way, doesn't there?" Charlotte asked. "I just have to find it." She paused. "You won't hate me for doing it, will you? I know you like me this way and I appreciate that, but…"

"No," Thomas shook his head. "Of course I won't hate you for it. If you find a way to bring yourself back and you accomplish it, then we'll go from there."

"All right, good," Charlotte nodded. "That really makes me feel so much better."

* * *

"Can you give me _any_ hints at all about how you and Andrew got brought back?" Charlotte begged Amelia. "Please? Can you tell me who brought you back? Maybe I could go and find them."

"It was a bunch of young boys," Amelia told him. "They probably got in trouble with the Council and are unable to do magic any more. They're a dead end."

"Damn," Charlotte whispered under her breath. Then she paused and took Amelia's words to heart. "The magical council?" She said. "What if they can help me? I've been there. When we talked to them about the awful ghost that was haunting your house?"

"You could try," Amelia told her. "I doubt it would work, but go ahead and give it a shot."

"Good!" Charlotte smiled. "I think I will."

She wasted no time heading over to the Council, but found it in chaos. Not knowing where to go, she stopped a blond boy who was just passing and made herself visible to him. "Do you have a minute?" She asked. "I have a favor I need to ask of someone here and I don't know who to talk to."

"A ghost needs a favor?" The young man asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you the ghost of a witch?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "My friends were brought back from the dead some time ago and I wondered if the same thing could be done for me because I'm in love with a man who's alive and we won't get anywhere unless I'm alive too."

"Well, isn't it fortunate that you and I are talking then?" The boy smiled. "Cause I'm the one who brought your friends back and I've been looking for some other soul to try it on."

"So you'll do it for me?" Charlotte asked, her eyes bright. "Even if, from what I understand, the whole process is a bit…" she lowered her voice. "A bit illegal?"

"What's a bit of illegality if it leads to true love?" Steve wanted to know. "I'm willing to take the risk if you are. But first, we need to check on something."

"What?" Charlottle wanted to know as he led her up some stairs and then knocked on the door at the top of them. A few seconds later, the door was opened by a dark haired boy with nice deep brown eyes. "What do you want, Steve?" He asked. "Clarence is out at the moment."

"Hello, to you too, Percy," Steve replied brightly. "Can we come in? I have a question I need to ask you about your little love business."

"Oh, all right," Percy sighed. "Does James know you're here? Or is this another one of those times where you're 'out to lunch' and have no intention of going back to where you're supposed to be until he finds you and drags you back by your hair?"

"No!" Steve shook his head. "This is a real thing! I'm on a mission of mercy here!"

"Oh, all right," Percy sighed. "What is it that you need to know?"

"Well, you know how that first pair of people we brought back were supposed to be together in the long run, so us bringing them back really wasn't so bad?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Percy nodded. "What about it?"

"Well," Steve cleared his throat and gestured at Charlotte. "My friend here is in love with a man who's alive and wants to come back to life to be with him. Is there anything on the books that condones that? Could you check?"

"If it's not on the books, will that matter?" Percy asked.

"Well, no, but I'm trying to take the legal route first!" Steve replied. "Work with me here, Percy!"

"All right," Percy nodded and looked at Charlotte. "What's your name?"

"Charlotte Salvatore," Charlotte replied. "And the man I like is named Thomas Cooper."

Percy looked through the lists several times and then looked at Charlotte with regret. "Sorry about that," he said. "The only person I see listed with you is your husband."

"Of course," Charlotte sighed. "I guess I wasn't meant to be naturally happy. Good thing I've decided to take that into my own hands and have found someone who's as willing to risk it all as I am."

"It's no problem," Steve told her as they made their way out of Clarence's office. "I've been looking for someone else to practice resurrection on, you wanna be brought back to be with the man you love…we're really doing each other a favor."

"Yes," Charlotte smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. "I really think we are."

* * *

"Is Charlotte seriously considering coming back to life?" Selina asked her mother. "You're not just shitting me, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Amelia shook her head. "And don't you use language like that, young lady."

"Sorry," Selina replied. "I'm just a little surprised is all. Or maybe I shouldn't be, if she and Thomas like each other so much. I mean, her relationship with Giuseppe wasn't the best and all. Her wanting more should be a given." She paused. "Does Thomas know about this?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "He gave her his blessing if she could find a way to work it out."

"I hope she gets what she wants," Selina said. "Relying on magic for anything is always a bit of a crapshoot."

"Enough about our issues, though," Amelia changed the subject. "What's going on with the two of you?"

"Not much since the school got closed down," Elijah replied. "It's been quiet."

"Oh!" Selina cried suddenly. "I can't believe I forgot to mention this, especially since we're talking about Charlotte and all, but…I got a call from Sam and he and Addie want to come and visit for a while because Damon told him about Charlotte coming back. He wants to meet her." She looked at Elijah. "He'll be staying with Damon and Lucy, of course, or getting a hotel, but…it wouldn't kill you if I went to visit him, would it? After all, he _is_ my son and he's so busy I hardly ever see him."

"All right," Elijah sighed. "I know Lucy will make sure there's no funny business between you and Damon."

"Would you like to come too?" Selina offered. "If it will ease your mind and all?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "Being around Sam just gives me a headache."

"Who's Sam?" Amelia asked. "Another one of your many children, dear?"

"My second one with Damon," Selina replied. "It's complicated how he came to be. Magic was involved. And alcohol. But Sam's a very successful musician!"

"Is he?" Amelia asked. "What sort of music does he play? Some nice soothing piano? Maybe I could come and listen to him sometime."

"I don't think you'd enjoy what he does," Elijah told her. "Andrew might though."

Then, there was a knock on the door and Selina went to answer it. She opened it and Sam stood on the other side, his dark hair shaggy, his blue eyes bright, guitar case in hand, his jeans torn at the knees.

"Hi, Mom!" He said, putting his case down to give her a hug. "Addie is already with Dad, but I thought I would stop by and see you."

"That's so sweet!" Selina replied and brought Sam in. Both Elijah and Amelia looked at him as if they had no idea what to do with him.

"It's okay," he told them. "I get that look a lot." He then went up to Amelia. "I'm Sam. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Amelia replied. "Have you ever thought of playing the piano?"

"No," Sam shook his head. "The guitar is my instrument. You're my grandma, right? Joshua told me all about you."

"Yes," Amelia nodded.

Then Sam took Selina into the hallway out of earshot of the other two. "Your mother's not very talkative, is she? Would it be too much to ask for her to come see the show?"

"Probably," Selina nodded. "But when is it? You know I'll be there."

"Tomorrow at seven," Sam replied. "Now I should probably be getting to Dad's. I don't want Addie worrying."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Nice to see you, Sam."

"Nice to see you too, Mom," Sam replied. He headed out and Selina watched out the door until his car disappeared, and then she went to make a note of the concert on her calendar.


	16. The First Step To Being Modern

"Do you still think Thomas is an imposter who's out to steal all Mama and Uncle Andrew's money?" Selina asked Elijah. "If you do, I'm taking you to meet him so you can see how wrong you are."

"You just want to take me to see a lot of people, don't you?" Elijah asked. "Sam's concert, seeing the man who claims to be your brother…why can't we just stay home and continue our project? I remember when we were first married and I had no problem getting you to do that."

Selina sighed. "I know that you wanna have another kid, but I just…I feel like I've given up. We've tried and we've tried and nothing has happened. We've already had eight. Let's just be happy with that."

"All right," Elijah replied. "Not that I'm giving up, but I suppose that taking a break and focusing on something else like the possible embezzler who's wormed his way into your mother's life is a good idea too."

Selina sighed. "I really think you'll like him once you learn that he's just a nice guy who's looking for a family. I'll call him right now and if he's available, we'll go and meet him. All right?"

"All right," Elijah replied. "We'll try it your way. But I doubt it will do any good!"

"How nice to see you again," Thomas said easily as he, Selina, and Elijah sat in the living room at Andrew and Amelia's. "I was just thinking about asking Amelia if she would invite you over for another chat, Selina. I feel that since you're my sister, we should talk more, don't you?"

Elijah began making weird noises in his throat and giving Selina really weird, obvious nudges.

"Is he okay?" Thomas asked. "Does he need water or something?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "That's not the trouble at all. He's just read way too many novels and is concerned that since you showed up and were recognized by my mother as the son she lost, that you're planning to steal all her money and run off to the Caribbean or something. Are you?"

"Well, no!" Thomas said, looking shocked. "Of course not!"

"You see?" Selina hissed as she turned to Elijah. "I told you so!"

But Elijah wasn't convinced. Not yet. He gave the boy a deep, penetrating glance and tried to listen for an unsteady heartbeat or ragged breathing that would betray him, but to his surprise (and perhaps also, his disappointment) he heard nothing unusual. "Well, all right then," he said gruffly and leaned back. "You may not be up to anything now, but I'm still watching you."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "But I promise you, you have nothing to be worried about."

"Don't let him get under your skin," Selina told Thomas. "He's like that with everyone when he first meets them, but once he gets used to you, he's much nicer."

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Elijah asked.

"Don't try and tell me I'm wrong," Selina said. "Cause I'm not." She changed the subject to something more neutral after that. "So…how have you been, Thomas? How's looking at schools going?"

"I've found a few promising options," Thomas told her. "But since I don't know specifically what I'm going to do yet, I might start at a community college and try all sorts of things before going to a bigger school."

"That sounds very sensible," Selina replied. "Good for you. Last time I was in school as a student, it was high school and I was pretending to blend in." She shuddered. "Don't do that if you can help it. It's not fun at all." She paused. "Oh, wait! If you ended school after eighth grade, then you _do_ have to go to high school. Otherwise they won't even think about letting you in college!" She growled. "And there's a school we could have gotten you into easily, but it's closed now because of problems with the magical government. Damn, damn, damn!"

"Oh, it's all right," Thomas said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We can figure something out. And I don't have to go and be educated right this minute. I've been working my whole life. I could use a bit of a break."

Elijah tried not to make any derisive noises or comment about Thomas sounded like a free-loader draining Andrew and Amelia of their funds, but it was hard.

"It sounds like you've got everything under control," Selina told her brother. "But if there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know."

"Oh, you don't have to do anything for me," Thomas told her. "All I want from you is a chance to get to know my sister."

Selina smiled. "I think I can do that for you," she said. "Where would you like to start?"

"Well…how did you become a vampire?" Thomas asked. "I mean, that's not a question you absolutely have to answer because I know it's a touchy subject for some people, but if you'd like to tell me, I'm eager to know."

Selina decided to bend the truth a little cause the real circumstances of her becoming a vampire were incredibly unsavory and she didn't want to trouble him with them or make him feel guilty for making her relive such a painful experience. "I got ill," she said. "Scarlet fever. The man who delivered you was our town doctor, and he was also a vampire. He told me that the only way to save my life was to turn me, and so…that's what was done. I was a bit put off at first, but the longer I've lived, the more grateful toward him I've become."

"Well, that's nice," Thomas replied. "I'm happy for you."

Selina smiled. "What about you? Have you enjoyed seeing things that you most likely wouldn't have gotten to see if you'd lived out a normal human life?"

"Oh, of course!" Thomas nodded. "Definitely. But I also miss when things were simpler, you know? Things are so complicated these days."

Selina scoffed. "Yep, tell me about it."

Thomas then turned toward Elijah, who had just yawned. "Do you have anything you'd like to contribute to this discussion?" He asked. "It's better than you just sitting here by yourself."

"Thank you, but no," Elijah replied. "I think, in fact, that I'll go home and let you two bond alone."

"How will I get home then?" Selina asked. "You'd be taking the car!"

"Call me when you're done," Elijah told her. "I'll come and pick you up then."

"All right," Selina told him and threw him the keys. "I guess we'll talk later then."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "We most definitely will."

* * *

Although Selina knew she didn't need to feel shame for talking with Thomas, she wanted to do all she could to get Elijah in a better mood. So instead of calling him to bring her home, she said goodbye to Thomas and zipped over to a nearby mall to buy herself new underwear. Once it was bought, she headed home, changed in the front hallway, and then called out to her husband.

"I'm home! Elijah, are you here?"

"How did you get back?" Elijah called back. "You could have called me to come and drive you."

"I had an errand I needed to run first," Selina said. "Come see!"

Elijah came in to the hallway and his jaw dropped immediately when he saw her standing there with nothing on but a pair of blood red lace panties and a matching bra.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" he asked when he could speak. "What's the occasion?"

"Does there need to be an occasion?" Selina asked, taking him in her arms, kissing him, and tugging on his tie before using it to lead him to their room. Once the bedroom door was closed, however, Elijah moved her hand from the tie and then ordered her onto the bed where she watched him undress without blinking, her tongue sliding over her bottom lip as she began tugging at her panties.

"Oh, no," Elijah said with a shake of his head and got in bed next to her, taking her in his arms and moving her so that she was on her back and looking up at him. "Don't you do that. Not yet."

Selina groaned and arched her back. "Really?" She asked. "How long do I have to wait?"

Elijah pushed her stomach so she was lying flat on the mattress again and starting with the skin just under her bra, he kissed a trail downward, stopping at the waistband of her panties. He then paused for a moment so he could deftly remove them and throw them on the pile of his clothes by the bed. Her bra quickly followed and soon he was kissing her deeply as he massaged between her parted legs.

Her eyes were closed as she clutched the edges of the mattress, her whole body becoming warm as she broke into a sweat. "Come on!" She pleaded. "Do it now! Don't make me suffer anymore!"

"All right," He replied. She opened her eyes just in time to see him loom over her with a wicked grin on his lips before he pulled her body close and buried himself inside her while also giving her a bite on the neck. He pulled in and out until they were both panting with exhaustion. Later, as they lay beside each other, Selina looked at him. "That was the easiest time we've had in a while," she observed. "Could it be that when you said you were going to relax and not worry about this anymore, you finally meant it?"

"I tried," Elijah nodded as he reached over to run his fingers lightly over her breasts. "You're still not taking your pills, right?"

"Of course not," Selina said. "What good would that do?"

"Well, with that in mind, I guess we'll see what happens then, won't we?" Elijah said and took her hand to kiss it.

"Yes," Selina smiled. "I guess we will."

* * *

"Do you think I'm foolish for wanting to come back to life?" Charlotte asked Lucy a few weeks later.

"No," Lucy shook her head. "I had the magical council make me human. There's nothing wrong with wanting to experience something you don't have. If you're willing to take the risk, who am I to tell you you're wrong? I wish you luck."

"Well, at least someone does," Charlotte scoffed. "You're taking this much better than my sons, thank goodness."

"Of course I am," Lucy smiled. "Were you expecting anything different?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "But it never hurts to have hope, does it?"

"I can have a talk with Damon if you want," Lucy offered. "Cause if this works and you and Thomas are able to be together on the same plane of existence, it's something that he and Stefan are just gonna have to get used to."

"Yes, they are," Charlotte agreed, her eyes becoming steely. "Because I'm not giving up on him. I'm not. I won't. Not for them, not for anybody." She then broke off as Damon came into the kitchen. "Hi, Mother," he said to her.

"Hello," she replied. "Have you been out with your brother? You two haven't been causing any trouble, I hope?"

"Of course not!" Damon said. "You know I would never."

"Don't you try to pull the wool over my eyes," Charlotte told him. "I know more about what you've been up to over the years than you think."

"How much did you tell her?" Damon asked Lucy. "Everything?"

"Not the really bad stuff," Lucy told him. "I thought you'd wanna do that on your own."

"Don't worry," Charlotte told him as the blood drained from his face. "I don't want to hear about it. I can assume what you've done and the assumptions are enough for me without having them confirmed."

"All right," Damon replied. "I promise I won't tell you a thing." He paused. "Have you been checking up on Stefan too?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded. "I know what's happened with both you boys and it won't accomplish anything to go on and on about it."

"Good," Damon nodded. "Okay." He looked at the clock. "I have to get ready for Sam's concert! It starts in an hour. Are you coming, Lucy?"

"Sure," Lucy replied. "Why not? I've come to all the other ones." Roxie had engaged Sam and the rest of the band to work nightly at the bar, and both she and Damon, along with her mother, had been there every night to support him.

"What exactly does Sam play?" Charlotte asked. "I think I might want to come too. He must be really skilled if you two are going to see him every night."

"I don't know if you'd like it," Lucy said. "It might not be your thing."

"I'll give it try anyway," Charlotte replied. "If you're worried about how I'll react to the fact that he performs at bars or something, don't worry about it. It won't bother me."

"All right," Lucy nodded. "I hope you enjoy yourself."

When they got to the bar, Sam, Addie, and the others were doing sound checks and last minute rehearsals while a crowd gathered by the stage to watch, including Charlotte. To Lucy's surprise, her mother wasn't in the crowd, but sitting at the bar with her head resting on it and a glass half-full of a mixture of blood and orange juice nearby.

"Are you okay?" She asked, coming to sit next to her.

"I don't know," Selina replied. "I know I look like hell and I probably should have stayed home, but I didn't want to disappoint your brother."

"If you're not feeling well, I'm sure he'd understand," Lucy told her and put a hand on her back. "It's not like you haven't been here the other nights."

Selina drank the rest of the orange juice down, stood up from the stool, and collapsed.

"All right, that's it," Lucy said and helped her up. "We're definitely taking you home. No arguments!"

"Okay, good," Selina told her. "That might be a good idea. The smoke here is starting to get to me. It just…it smells so awful!" They had just gotten out the door when Selina suddenly pitched forward a little and threw up in some bushes.

"I think that's all of it," she said when she was done. "And can we stop by the drug store on the way home?"

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "We can get you medicine."

"I don't need medicine," Selina replied. "I need…something else."

So they went to the drug store and Selina bought several pregnancy tests. She was pretty positive that's what was going on, but she wanted to be sure. Not that there were any other things that had ever made her sick before.

* * *

Thankfully, Elijah wasn't home when Lucy dropped her off. That would make it a surprise. She took five tests and they all came out positive. When she heard Elijah announce that he was back, she ran into his arms, gave him a hug, and cried, "I'm pregnant!" before feeling dizziness and stomach pains start to overwhelm her.

"You are?" Elijah asked with a wide smile and tried not to jostle her too much. "How wonderful! What do you say we get you in bed then?"

"Yes," Selina nodded and laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her to their room to tuck her into bed. "That's a good idea."


	17. A Cinderella Spell

"Are you still as glad as I am that you're pregnant?" Elijah asked as he brought Selina her blood and toast.

"Of course I am," Selina replied, trying not to think about the nausea that would undoubtedly wash over her soon and make the pounding in her head worse. "It's just delightful."

"Well, I'll get you some wash cloths for your head and some crackers for your stomach," he told her. "I hope that makes you feel better." He paused. "Have you told your mother about your condition yet?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I don't know when I'm gonna do that. If I do it now she might want to come over and help me and I already have you for that."

"And you don't want there to be any trouble," Elijah nodded. "I understand. But I promise that if your mother did come and wish to help you too, I wouldn't get in the way of that."

"I think I'll just tell her," Selina replied. "And when you tell your father, let me know after. It always makes me chuckle to hear the praise he heaps on me in this situation when he hates me the rest of the time."

"Yes, I suppose I should tell him," Elijah replied as he sat down on the bed and gently took her in his arms. "I know that pregnancy isn't exactly a fun process for you, but I'm glad it finally happened."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Me too." She then gagged and ran for the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later and wiping her mouth with a towel before climbing back into bed. Elijah tucked her in again and asked, "Are you okay here or would you like me to set up the pillows and blankets in the tub like I did when you were pregnant with Gregory so you don't have to walk so far when you need the bathroom?"

"No, thanks," Selina shook her head and shifted her position more toward her side. "I just need the crackers, blood, and wash cloths and I'll be good."

"All right," Elijah told her and gave her a kiss. "Coming right up."

He went and got her requests, then let her sleep, going to call his father in the meantime to tell him what happened.

"She's pregnant _again_?" Mikael asked. "How many does that make?"

"This will be nine," Elijah told him. "I'm pretty sure that's the right number."

"Well, for all her short-comings, she's not letting you down in the fertility department," Mikael said.

"You always say that," Elijah huffed. "And I don't know what short-comings you're talking about."

"I'm sure you could think of some if you tried," Mikael told him.

"I'm only telling you what happened out of courtesy," Elijah told him through his teeth. "I just want a simple 'Congratulations to you and your wife, son', and that's it. I don't need anything else."

"Well, all right," Mikael told him. "I suppose I can do that. Congratulations to you and your wife, son."

"Thank you, Father," Elijah said curtly and ended the call to go back to Selina.

* * *

"Who were you talking to?" Gwen asked Mikael after he put the phone in the cradle. "I mean, it shouldn't be hard to guess because not many people call here in the first place. Was it King? I could have talked to him, you know."

"It wasn't King," Mikael shook his head. "It was Elijah. Apparently, he and Selina are expecting again."

"They are?" Gwen smiled. "How lovely. How many will that make for them? Quite a few, if I remember correctly."

"Yes," Mikael nodded. "Elijah said this would be number nine. I don't know whether to be happy or exasperated."

"Why would you be exasperated about becoming a grandfather again?" Gwen asked as she hugged him. "It's exciting! In fact, I often wondered why King and Vivi haven't tried again. They started when they were so young. It's been _years!"_

"Do you really want to hear my tirade about how I can't stand that wife of his?" Mikael asked.

"No," Gwen shook her head. "I think I've heard it enough times already. So she made a fool of you once. Get over it."

"No, I can't do that, Gwendolyn!" Mikael replied, stepping away from her and looking horrified. "A man's pride doesn't forget things so easily."

"Well, then a man's pride is stupid," Gwen replied. "You'd have a much more enjoyable life if you would just learn to let certain things go."

"No," Mikael said, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. "I won't. I prefer my anger."

"All right," Gwen said and kissed him. "Be angry. But you can't say I didn't try and help you to be otherwise."

* * *

"Amelia, I don't think she's avoiding us," Andrew told her patiently as Amelia sat with phone in hand, looking through the calls and bemoaning the fact that none of them had come from her daughter for more than a week. "I'm sure that if she hasn't called, there's a reason for it."

"Cause I haven't _been_ mean to her," Amelia said. "You know that, right?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "I know that."

"What if she's hurt?" Amelia fretted. "What if something bad has happened to her and she can't reach me?"

"I'm sure that if something bad has happened, she and her husband are taking care of it," Andrew said. "So you just relax."

"No," Amelia shook her head and got up to grab her coat. "I just have to go and see."

"She never listens to me," Andrew mumbled under his breath before yelling, "Thomas, code red!"

"Amelia, I need your help with something," Thomas said, suddenly appearing by the door.

"Of course, dear," Amelia told him. "What is it?"

"It's, um…well," He started coughing. "I need…I don't feel well."

"You don't?" Amelia asked. "Well, go lie down and we'll see what we can do to get you better!"

While Amelia fussed over Thomas, Andrew called Selina's house himself to check up.

"We were going to call you and Amelia," Elijah told him. "Sorry it took so long, but Selina…she hasn't been feeling well."

"Really?" Andrew asked. "What's the matter with her? What could possibly make a vampire ill?"

"She's actually expecting," Elijah told him. "Don't ask me to explain how. It's very complicated. She's expecting and the first few months always make her very tired and ill."

"How unfortunate," Andrew sympathized, stroking the dark stubble on his face. "Congratulations to both of you, however. Am I allowed to tell Amelia, or should I keep it quiet until Selina's back on her feet?"

"I'll let her tell you about that," Elijah replied. "Although from what she's already told me, I think she would prefer for Amelia to hear once she's no longer ill."

"I thought as much," Andrew told her. "I promise I won't say a word."

"Thank you," Elijah told him. "I know it's been a while since Amelia has heard from her daughter, so you can tell her anything to ease her mind about that, but leave the truth to your niece."

"Oh, of course," Andrew nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"All right," Elijah told him. "Would you like to talk to her?"

"I would," Andrew said. "If it won't wear her out."

"I'm sure a short conversation wouldn't hurt," Elijah assured him.

And short it was, with things being cut off when Amelia came to face him with her hands on her hips as Thomas trailed behind him looking ashamed. "It didn't take her long to figure out that I wasn't ill," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Amelia frowned. "I'm smart that way." She looked between her husband and her son. "What's going on with you two? What are you trying to distract me from?"

"We were just trying to get your mind off Selina," Andrew said. "You're worrying about her for nothing. I just talked to Elijah and she hasn't called cause she's not feeling well, but she and Elijah have it all under control and she'll talk to you when she's feeling better."

Amelia scoffed. "Well, that just confirms it. She _is_ avoiding me! I'm not stupid! I know vampires can't be ill!"

"It's a problem with her werewolf side," Andrew said seriously. "She's got…a really bad flea infestation."

"What?" Amelia cried, her face twisting in revulsion. "That is disgusting!"

"It's not _my_ fault you're disgusted," Andrew shrugged. "You're the one who wanted details. And I assume you don't want to be infested either so you won't bother her until you're told that she's free and clear of all bugs?"

"Of course," Amelia nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice."

Amelia strode away and Thomas said to his father, "What's the _real_ reason for why Selina hasn't called?"

"She's expecting a child," Andrew whispered. "It's still in the early stages and she doesn't want there to be a tussle over her care since her husband has already assumed the role of caretaker."

"Ah," Thomas nodded. "I can understand that. It's a smart move on her part."

"Yes," Andrew said thoughtfully. "My niece knows her mother well."

* * *

"You said you needed to talk to me?" Charlotte asked Steve when she came to the Council building to meet him on his lunch break. "What about?"

"It's about that little favor you need from me," Steve told her. "I have good news and I have bad news about it."

"Oh," Charlotte felt her heart sink. "It can't be done? Is that what you called me for? To tell me not to get my hopes up?"

"No, now just a minute," Steve said. "Don't get all upset over nothing. The good news is that you will be able to get what you want."

"Well, good!" Charlotte smiled. Then she sobered. "What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that you'll be living on borrowed time," Steve sighed. "Since this relationship with the man you like wasn't supposed to happen, it won't last. It technically shouldn't even be happening in the first place, but Clarence is a softie and after he read your romantic history, he felt you should at least have a chance if you want it. But you'll die much sooner than you'd like. The question is, do you think it'll be worth it to be brought back to life only to die and have your family bury you again? Or do you just want to forget the whole thing? That's the choice you have to make."

Charlotte heard this and sighed. "It would be selfish of me to put my family through burying me again. But at the same time…I do want to be with Thomas for as long as I can. I'll do it. I'll take what time I can and make the most of it."

"That's what I thought you'd say," Steve smiled. "And I think you made the right choice."

They went to see Clarence who looked at Charlotte knowingly. "I thought you'd choose to be brought back," he said.

"I don't care if you think I'm doing the wrong thing," Charlotte told him. "I deserve to be loved. Even if it's just for a little while."

"I'm not judging you," Clarence replied. "If I had any problem with this, I wouldn't be offering to help."

"And you won't get in trouble with anyone for your part in it, will you?" Charlotte asked him.

"I'm all about love," Clarence told her firmly. "That's what matters. Not what happens to me as a result of making love happen. Now, where are you buried?"

"Mystic Falls Cemetery, Mystic Falls Virgina," Charlotte told him.

"All right," Clarence smiled at her, showing shiny white teeth. "Let's go."

* * *

The process to bring her back took some time, so it was nightfall when she shimmied up the side of the house to Thomas' bedroom, and got inside, falling to the floor with a thump. This made Thomas shoot up in bed and turn on the light over his head. "What is it?" He called as she was struggling to her feet. "Who's in here?"

"It's me, Thomas," she said, coming to stand next to him. "It's me. Sorry I woke you, but I wanted to tell you the news as soon as possible."

"What news?" Thomas asked. "Charlotte, what's going on?"

"I'm alive again," she said. "It's only for a little while, mind you, but I'm alive again." She smiled. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"I-I can't believe it," Thomas said, feeling more wide awake as he took her in his arms and kissed her. "Are you sure this is real? Cause what I feel, I imagined it all when you were a spirit."

Charlotte detached his hands from her body and walked straight into the closed bathroom door. "Ow," she said. "That hurt."

"Well, don't do that," Thomas chided. "You didn't have to hurt yourself."

"I didn't know of any other way to prove it," Charlotte told him, her hand on her head. "You're handling this very well."

"After ghosts, this is hardly any more strange," Thomas replied. "But I wonder how everyone else will react: Andrew, Amelia, your sons."

"They probably won't be as easy-going about it as you," Charlotte told him and gave him a kiss. "But the fact that you can accept it makes me happy, because that's all I really care about."


	18. I Came Back For You

_Andrew was the first to discover Charlotte was alive. He came in to greet Thomas in the morning and saw two lumps in the bed and not just one._

" _Care to introduce me to your friend?" He asked. "And if you're in an embarrassing position, don't worry. I won't scold you."_

" _Actually," Charlotte replied as she pushed the blankets aside and sat up, "we've already met, Andrew. Good morning!"_

" _I had to let her stay in my bed," Thomas told him quickly as he came toward his father, covered in the sheet. "She came last night and didn't have anywhere else to sleep."_

" _I'm alive now," Charlotte explained further. "I met a nice warlock boy and he and a large black man worked together to bring me back to life, so here I am."_

" _Just believe her," Thomas suggested as his father's jaw dropped. "Otherwise she'll smack her head into the door to prove it. It's what she did last night."_

That had been several days ago and now Amelia and Andrew were getting used to seeing Charlotte in her new state. She was staying with them of course, so every morning they came down to breakfast, there she was, making grouchy faces at her cereal as she mashed it up with her spoon.

"I think the two of you should consider getting a chef," she said one morning. "I can't handle that nonsense from a box! It tastes terrible!"

"We have a chef once a month when Amelia asks me to dress up nicely so we can eat at the table like civilized people," Andrew informed her. "Otherwise, we pretty much fend for ourselves."

"Oh, what a shame," Charlotte sighed and went to throw what was left of her cereal in the sink. "I guess I'll just have to have coffee then. At least _that's_ much better than it was in the past."

"All right," Amelia nodded. "Go ahead. But you can't survive on coffee all the time. Since you're alive now, you have to eat at _some_ point."

"And I will," Charlotte assured her. "Just not here. Maybe my sons have better things at their houses. And like you're always telling me, I should probably break the news to them about my return."

"Good!" Amelia smiled. "You go ahead and do that."

Charlotte had her coffee and finished it just as Thomas came into the kitchen and stuck some frozen waffles in the toaster.

"Good morning," she greeted him.

"Good morning," he returned. "You're just having coffee today? Now that you're alive, you have to eat, you know."

"That's what I told her, but she thinks that what we have to eat around here isn't good enough," Amelia told him. "She would much rather go out."

"Well, if you eat something now, I suppose we could make time for it later," Thomas promised. "What time would you like to go out?"

"I have to go see my sons today and that will no doubt be difficult, so to reward myself for getting through it, I think we should go after," Charlotte decided. "Maybe sometime around seven or eight?"

"All right," Thomas nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"And since you'll be paying, you can pick the restaurant," Charlotte finished. "That doesn't bother me at all."

"Will do," Thomas nodded. "But don't worry, I'll pick somewhere that requires me to wear a suit and doesn't have a drive through. I'll not subject you to that. At least not yet, anyway." He gave her a kiss and a hug, holding onto her for a long time just because he could, and then told her he had to go shower. Once he was gone, Charlotte asked Amelia, "What's a drive-through? Is it something terrible?"

"It took me some time to get used to them too," Amelia said. "What it is is a restaurant where you say what you want to a person at a window, and then you drive a little further along and they give it to you at another window. You don't even have to get out of the car! It's incredibly convenient, and while the food takes some getting used to when you've never had it before, I can say that I'm a big fan of hamburgers now."

"And don't forget the chicken nuggets," Andrew added. "You get the twenty-piece box and then you don't even share with me."

"Well, if I buy them, why should I share?" Amelia asked. "It's not my fault you never get your own chicken nuggets."

"I thought you got that many so we _could_ share, but apparently, I was wrong," Andrew sighed. "I read your message loud and clear. I'll get my own chicken nuggets next time."

"Good," Amelia smiled. "Nice to see I finally got the message across."

"I think I'll go see the boys now," Charlotte told them. "I bet you'd like to have the house to yourself for a bit."

"Well, good luck!" Amelia told her. "I hope it goes well."

"It probably won't, but the important thing is getting it out of the way," Charlotte replied. "I just get it over with and that'll be one weight off my shoulders." She then headed out of the house and realized with a groan that since she was alive now she couldn't just poof over to Damon's. She would have to be driven there because she didn't know how to drive herself.

"Amelia, would you mind driving me over to my son's house?" She asked her friend. "Please?"

"Sure," Amelia smiled. "No problem. Let's go."

* * *

"Mother, why did you knock on the door?" Damon asked when he opened it and found Charlotte and Amelia standing on the other side. "You know you can just pop in, right? Stefan, Lucy, and I are used to that now."

"I literally can't pop in anymore," Charlotte told him. "Don't be shocked, but…I'm alive now. I had a friend in the magical government bring me back."

Damon stared at her for a few seconds and then he burst out laughing. "That's a good joke, Mother. A really good joke."

"She's not joking," Amelia told him. "She means it."

Damon nodded. "Of course she does." He began to pace. "And let's think about why you came back: to spend time with your sons? Your grandson? Of course not! It was so you could forget all about us and spend time with that _boy!"_

"Oh, Damon, don't be childish," Charlotte scoffed. "You're grown up. You don't need me. At least not as much as you'd like me to think you do. I won't forget about you."

"Well, I'm sorry if I have a tough time believing you," Damon told her. He stomped off to his room after grabbing a bottle of whiskey and when Lucy found out, she went to ask Charlotte what was going on."

"I convinced someone to bring me back to life so I could be with Thomas and that's upset Damon," Charlotte told her. "But I don't understand why. He's a grown man. He doesn't need me. I think he's just trying to make me feel guilty so I give up what makes me happy."

"I know it seems that way, but I believe that's not an exactly fair way of looking at it," Lucy told her. "I know that Damon and his father didn't have the best relationship, but he probably is still feeling hurt that you want to move on from Giuseppe. He feels that by taking up with Thomas, you're rejecting Giuseppe's memory, and in turn rejecting Damon himself, and that's not just a something you can dismiss, especially if you know that's not what you intend to do in the first place. It's not that he necessarily needs you to mother him like he did when he was a boy. He just needs to know that you won't forget him because Thomas gives you much happier memories, and Damon's the son of the man who gave you bad ones."

"I never thought of it that way," Charlotte said. She looked at Amelia. "Would you have guessed Damon felt that way?"

"Not really," Amelia shook her head. "He does a very good job of hiding it."

They sat in silence for a moment and then Charlotte said, "You know, I was supposed to go out to dinner with Thomas tonight, but Lucy, do you think you and Damon would be free to go with me instead? And maybe bring Sam too if he doesn't have to perform at Roxie's?"

"Sure," Lucy nodded. "I don't think we have anything to do tonight." She got up and went to find Damon to ask him.

"Mother wants to go out to dinner with me and not her boyfriend?" Damon asked. "Really?"

"Really," Lucy kissed him. "So…would you like to go?"

"Yes, I would," Damon nodded. "You already accepted the invitation, didn't you?"

"Yes," Lucy smiled and kissed his brow. "I didn't think you'd object. Now would you get up and shower or something? You look a mess."

"Yes," Damon nodded and handed her the wine bottle and then undressed right in front of her, before making his way naked to the bathroom door. "For you, I will."

"Good," Lucy nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

"So do you think I should just get it over with and tell my mother what's going on with me?" Selina asked Elijah after waking up from a nap and asking Elijah for some juice. "It's kind of been hanging over me."

"Well, you don't necessarily have to do it yourself," Elijah told her and played with her hair. "Or, if you don't feel like facing your mother, you can always give your uncle permission to say something. I'm sure he would be more than happy to tell her for you."

"No," Selina shook her head determinedly, got out of bed, and strode over to grab her cell phone off the dresser. "I'm gonna call my mother and tell her myself. I can't just avoid her all the time. I'm too big for that now. And since our relationship is the best it's probably ever been, I have no excuses."

"And then, as a reward, I'll tell you how my father reacted to the news," Elijah said. "How's that?"

"Good," Selina smiled as she punched in her mother's number. "I like it." She waited for the phone to ring and was relieved when it was her uncle who answered and not her mom.

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?" He asked.

"I was planning on telling Mama about my pregnancy, but since she's not around, would you do that for me?" Selina asked. "Where's Mom right now? With Charlotte?"

"Yes," Andrew said. "They're at Damon and Lucy's telling him about how Charlotte's alive now."

Selina sucked in her breath. "Well, good luck to Charlotte. I don't see Damon handling that well, especially if you consider _why_ she came back. For Thomas, not for him. Or Stefan."

"Oh, I know," Andrew sighed. "But I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. I'm glad it's not something I have to worry about. Now, telling your mother your news on the other hand…do you really think you can't do it?"

"I might be able to, if you really think I should," Selina replied.

"Please do," Andrew told her. "I think she'd appreciate the news much more if she heard it from you in person."

"Okay," Selina told him and then thanked him for his help. After ending the call, she turned her attention back to her husband. "So what did your dad say? Was he angry?"

"Of course," Elijah nodded. "Upset that you're doing exactly what he thinks you should do and are doing it well." He kissed her.

"Well, that's what I like to hear," Selina smiled. "As long as your father is pissed, I'm happy."

"That's never been my motto," Elijah told her. "Or at least it wasn't when I cared what he thought. But then I met you and all of a sudden, that didn't seem to matter much anymore. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Selina smiled and kissed him. "It's my pleasure."

* * *

While she kept her pregnancy news from her mother, Selina was more open about what was going on with her around Matthew and Christine.

"That is so cool!" Christine smiled. "More little half-siblings for me!"

Sarah was reaching for Selina and Christine told her, "No, no. Selina's not feeling well, so you have to stay away."

"Actually, she could be on here with me if she wanted," Selina offered. "Elijah's insisting I stay in bed for a couple more days to make sure I'm okay."

"I wouldn't say that's a bad idea," Matthew told her. "But then again, I'm just a man, so what do I know?"

"You both have good intentions," Selina said and gave him a kiss as Sarah was plunked in her lap and gave her a kiss on the arm. "I'll give you that."

"Well, I do try," Matthew agreed. Have you told your mother?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "And this telling you is going a lot smoother, let me tell you."

"What happened?" Matthew sighed.

"Mama's just mad because I won't let her help me," Selina told him.

"Would it hurt you terribly to let her just a little?" Matthew asked. "It would make her happy."

"Oh, all right," Selina sighed. "But just for a little while. And only because you asked." She paused. "Well, not just you. Uncle Andrew said I should tell her in person too when I ask him to tell her instead."

"I mean, it would be one thing if you were too ill to leave your bed, but you aren't anymore," Matthew told her. "I don't think it will be as hard as you believe. Would you like me there with you?"

"Yes, thank you," Selina nodded. "I think I would."

So they all (including Sarah) piled into Matthew's car and drove over to Matthew and Amelia's. Amelia had just arrived home from Damon's and was hanging up her coat when Selina let herself in.

"Hello," she said.

"Well, hello," Amelia greeted her, trying not to sound cold and sarcastic. "It's nice to know you aren't dead after all. Would you care to tell me why you've been avoiding me?"

Selina sighed. "I'm pregnant," she said. "And I didn't want you to feel like you needed to rush over and take care of me because I already have Elijah to do that."

"Well, that's wonderful news!" Amelia said and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy for you and Elijah! And of course if he's taking good care of you, I won't get in the way. But you will let me come baby stuff shopping with you, right?" She asked. "Please? I've never gotten to do it with you before, and I just want to share that experience."

"All right," Selina nodded. "I'd love for you to come baby stuff shopping with me. Especially since I feel I might need more stuff than usual."

"Why?" Amelia asked.

Selina looked down at herself. "Well, the last time I was this big this early, Enid looked me over and told me I was having twins. Not that that's the case for sure now, but I have a hunch."

"Well, how wonderful!" Amelia smiled. "You just tell me when you're ready to go shopping and we'll go." She then noticed Matthew and Christine sitting at the table, and Christine had Sarah in her lap. "Hello. Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "To run interference in case things got intense. But that went very well. Maybe you two really _are_ getting along well now."

"I think we are," she smiled at her daughter. "Considering where we used to be, we can't really go anywhere but up, can we?"


	19. Put Your Arms Around Me

"Can I borrow your wife?" Damon begged Elijah. "Please?"

"It depends," Elijah told him dryly. "What do you want her for?"

"I just want to talk with her about how to handle my mother and her new boyfriend," Damon assured him. "That's all. I'm not gonna do any funny business."

"Why do you have to talk to Selina?" Elijah asked. "Why can't you talk to Lucy? _She's_ your wife."

"I've tried, but she really doesn't understand the situation the way Selina does," Damon replied. "You let me talk to Selina for an hour or so and I'll owe you a favor. _Please_?"

"If I tell you to go away, you'll just come back later, won't you?" Elijah asked, seeing that Damon was very determined to see his wife.

"Yes," Damon nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, I guess I have no choice but to let you in, then," Elijah sighed and ushered him in. "But don't talk to her too long. She's pregnant and I don't want her to get worn out."

"Of course," Damon nodded. "If I see her getting tired, I'll leave."

"Good," Elijah said as Damon sat down on the sofa. "You wait here while I go get her. She'd probably want me to ask you if you want anything. So…do you?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Damon shook his head. "I'm fine."

"All right," Elijah nodded. "Wait while I go get her. Stay right where you are and don't touch anything."

"I won't," Damon put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I promise."

Elijah narrowed his eyes at the younger vampire for a few seconds and then went in search of Selina.

"Damon's here and wanting to talk to you about issues he's having with his mother because he says you're the only one who can understand and that talking to Lucy is no good," he told her when he found her reading in the library. "Are you feeling up to talking with him, or should I send him away and tell him to come back later when you're feeling more alert?"

"No, I feel fine," Selina said, putting her book down on the green sofa and standing up to follow him out. "I think the question here is not so much am _I_ feeling up to talking with him, but are _you_ feeling up to letting me talk to him?"

"Under ordinary circumstances, I would fight this more," Elijah replied. "But he seems very determined to discuss this issue with you, so I might as well let him get it over with now. Hell, as long as you leave the door open, I might even let you have some time alone."

"Well, how generous," Selina remarked. "It's amazing how sensible my being pregnant can make you. We'll try not to talk too long. I swear."

When they reached the living room, Selina took a seat on the sofa next to the one that Damon was sitting on so they weren't very close to one another and with that in his mind, Elijah departed for his office, leaving the other two to talk alone.

"So…what problems are you having with your mother?" Selina asked Damon. "Are you and Stefan still having trouble adjusting to her and Thomas being a couple?"

"No, I've accepted that," Damon sighed. "How can I not when it's being thrown in my face every day? And Stefan doesn't care as much cause he was always closer with Father anyway. You remember that."

"Yeah, I do…the little weasel," Selina said, her eyes narrowing as she remembered all the times she'd sneaked into the library, taken off her hat, her socks, her shoes, and let her hair down while she read in the afternoon and how Stefan would always find her and tattle about how she was really underdressed for it being the middle of the day. She then shook her head and focused on Damon again. His eyes had a light in them that hadn't been there when she came in the room. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"No," Selina shook her head and cleared her throat. "We're here to talk about you and your mother. So the problem is that you feel ignored by her now?"

"Exactly!" Damon replied. "She comes back from the dead and it's just because of some _guy!_ Not to see us or anything. Am I wrong to feel that way?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Remember how I felt when Daddy and Christine fell in love and had Sarah? I felt left out too. I know you won't want to hear this, but the best way to deal with these kinds of situations is to accept the person that you feel is in the way. Now, that doesn't mean you have to like Thomas, or be buddies with him, but he and your mom are a package deal now, so you can't demand she leave him."

"Why not?" Damon asked. "She's _my_ mother. _I_ was here first."

"Is this how you felt when Stefan was born too?" Selina questioned. "How did you work your way through that? Think about it and try to apply the same methods to Thomas."

"It would be a lot easier if I knew he was willing to share Mother," Damon scowled. "How do I know that he's gonna try just as hard as I am? And what are you siding with him for? Don't you think it's weird that your brother is dating my mom? Think about how you would feel if Stefan were going after Amelia!"

"Well, that wouldn't happen because Stefan is _not_ Mama's type," Selina informed him. "And if you took the time to get to know Thomas, you would see that he's nice enough and smart enough to realize that you were here first, so he'll make every effort not to just take over."

"Oh, sure," Damon scoffed and stood up. "Nice try, but I doubt that." He got up to leave. "I'm gonna go now."

"All right," Selina told him. "Sorry I didn't say what you wanted to hear. But I hope you think about what I _did_ say."

"I'll try," Damon promised. "Even though I find it hard to believe."

He left and then Selina went to meet Elijah in his office. "How did that go?" Elijah asked as she sat down on his lap. "Did you get through to him?"

"I tried, but I don't think it worked," Selina sighed. "He sees Thomas as this instrument of sabotage. Not unlike you, I might add."

"I can acknowledge that I acted irrationally when he first showed up and we learned who he was," Elijah told her. "I don't think that way now, though. So Damon still thinks that Thomas is trying to destroy his relationship with his mother?"

"Yep," Selina said and gave Elijah a kiss. "But I think it's a lot of nonsense, personally. And if he would just get to _know_ Thomas, Damon would realize that."

* * *

"I know you came back for me," Thomas told Charlotte. "And that's very nice, but…don't get so carried away by our relationship that you forget about your family. They're very important too."

"Oh, I know they are," Charlotte nodded. "But they're grown up and married with wives of their own. They don't need me. You do, though. I want to stay where I'm needed."

"How do you _know_ they don't need you?" Thomas asked. "Are you just assuming that because of how old they are?"

"Maybe," Charlotte sighed. "They were just little boys when I died, but I've never…I've never been really maternal. At least not the kind of mother who smothers her children with unconditional love and is all about them. Even if I tried to reconnect with my sons, what good would it do?"

"It could do all the good in the world," Thomas encouraged. "You just have to try."

"All right," Charlotte nodded. "But how will we do that?"

"Simple," Thomas told her. "I'll find a way to absent myself, perhaps poker night with Amelia and Andrew. And then you can slip off to Damon's house and have a talk with him, unhindered by my presence. You think you can do that?"

"I can," Charlotte sighed. "I don't know what good it will do, but I'll try since you want me to so badly."

"Good," Thomas nodded. "I think it will be good for everyone in the long run. I really do."

* * *

"It's really nice that we were able to have a night for just the three of us," Andrew told Thomas as he and Amelia sat at the table playing poker. "Was Charlotte busy?"

Thomas shook his head. "If it were up to her, she wouldn't be, but I told her I thought she should take the occasional night to spend time with her sons, so that's what's going on." He looked over the cards in his hand. "I call," he said and laid them down. "Two pair."

"I got nothing," Amelia said and put her cards down.

"One pair," Andrew sighed and pushed the pile of change that made up the pot toward his son. "Looks like you win again, Thomas."

"Great," Thomas said and took the pot while Andrew shuffled the deck and dealt out the cards again. As he looked over his hand, he thought about Charlotte and her sons and hoped everything was going well.

* * *

"If Thomas sent you over here because you didn't want to come on your own, I don't want to talk to you," Damon said from his seat next to Lucy. "You can go back to him for all I care."

"And what good would that do?" Charlotte shot back. "I would still have to listen to you being concerned about my relationship because we didn't resolve this here and now, so that's exactly what we're going to do! I don't have much time and I don't want to waste it fighting with you."

"Oh, is that why you avoid me and be with Thomas all the time?" Damon shot back? Cause you only have so long and you'd rather spend it with him?"

"Damon, listen to yourself!" Lucy snapped. "Your mother just told you that she's gonna die at some point. Do you want to bond with her and make the most of it, or do you want her to die with thoughts of you being difficult?"

"Does it matter if she doesn't want to spend time with me anyway?" Damon asked.

"I do want to spend time with you," Charlotte told him. "But I just…I thought that since you're grown now and have a wife and a family, you wouldn't have time for me and that I would need to find other ways to entertain myself. If you'll make time for me, I'll make time for you and your brother. I promise."

"See?" Lucy told him. "I knew that if we just talked we could work things out!"

"Fine," Damon told her. "You make time for me and I'll make time for you. Do you promise that our time together will be Thomas-free?"

"If that's what you want, I'm sure we can work it out," Charlotte nodded. She then hesitated for a moment before holding her arms out. "Now, can I have a hug, please?"

"Really?" Damon asked and took a few steps forward. "It's…it's been a really long time since we've done that."

"I know," Charlotte smiled as she took her elder son in her arms and Lucy smiled widely. "Too long, don't you think?"


	20. Brutal Honesty

"I'm sorry about what happened with you and the blood the other day when I had to go get Kol out of trouble," Elijah apologized to Selina for what seemed like the thousandth time. "Here you were, suffering and I had to way to know about it so I could come and help you."

"You don't have to beat yourself up," Selina told him patiently. "The boys helped me."

"Yes, but what if they hadn't shown up while you were still able to keep your thirst at bay?" Elijah asked. "Something really bad could have happened."

"It could have happened, but we were lucky and it didn't," Selina reminded him, coming over to hug him the best she could. "You need to stop beating yourself up over this or you're gonna go insane."

"You're right, I guess," Elijah sighed. "So…was it just the boys who came over?"

"No, Adrian brought his friend Kai, too," Selina replied. "You know, the one who caused all the trouble at Amanda and Viktor's wedding and then ran off with Victoria? He didn't seem so bad now that I had a chance to really get to know him."

"I don't know if you associating with him is such a good idea," Elijah told her. He sounded very doubtful.

"Why?" Selina asked. "Cause you think he'll pull me over to the dark side again?" Selina asked.

"Well, yes!" Elijah nodded. "You understand why I worry, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Selina nodded. "But I think the only thing he wants from me is my baked goods and you have nothing else to worry about. If Gregory didn't seem worried about my associating with Kai, I don't think you should. Can't you just trust me?"

"All right," Elijah sighed. "I trust you. I trust that you know what your limits are and when to say 'No'. I do."

"By now I should hope so!" Selina nodded. Then she sat down and pulled her hair up off her neck. "Could I have a neck massage, please?" She requested.

"Of course," Elijah obliged, coming up behind her and gently massaging her neck with one hand while playing with her dark hair with the other. He tried to maintain his breathing as she moaned and said, "Yes, that feels good!" In a soft, breathy voice.

When she finally told him that he'd done enough, he kept his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to gently kiss her neck.

"You can give me a nibble too," she whispered. "I don't mind."

"Not right now," he whispered back against her ear. "But I will soon, I promise."

"All right, but you better keep that promise," Selina told him before giving an exaggerated yawn. "I think I wanna go to bed, don't you?"

"Just to be clear, you don't actually mean that you're tired, right?" Elijah asked.

"No," Selina said, grabbing him and giving him a big kiss. "Does that clear it up for you?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded, leading her into the bedroom and locking the door behind them as they slowly undressed one another and fell onto the mattress, kissing each other wildly before Elijah pulled back to breathe. "I think it does."

* * *

"Are you all right?" Stefan asked Felicity. He'd just gotten off the phone with Damon after listening to him rant about Thomas for several minutes and it had made him a bit impatient about everything. "You haven't really talked to me in several days and you seem to just leave rooms when I come in them."

"Well, that's because I've been trying to think of how to tell you what I want to tell you, and it's kind of hard to do that when you're in the room with me," she said. "But I'll just get it out there: I think you and I should break up."

"What?" Stefan asked. "Why?"

"Well, and answer honestly," Felicity requested. "Do you really think our relationship is really doing either of us any good anymore? I mean, it was good when I was a kid, but now, I don't know. And I thought you'd be jumping up and down at the idea. I remember you saying from the beginning that all you wanted was to be free of me."

"Well, that was when you were small and annoying," Stefan replied. "Things have changed."

"Yeah," Felicity nodded ruefully. "Now you get to pull me back every time I have an upset and am tottering near the edge."

"That's not so bad," Stefan replied. "I can handle that. It's not a bother." He paused. "But if you'd like to go, I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"Wow," Felicity said. "This is more emotion than you've shown in our entire relationship. I'm surprised."

"Yeah," Stefan replied thoughtfully. "I am too, to be totally honest. Maybe it's because I'm not so sure what I'm gonna do without you in my life. You've just always been there."

"Well," Felicity said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You've survived without me before, and you'll be able to do it again. I really think that this is better for both of us."

"All right," Stefan nodded. "I guess you're right. Have a nice life."

"I will," Felicity nodded and went to go pack her things and see if Lucy or her grandmother would take her in. It would feel just too weird staying with him now that she and Stefan were broken up.

* * *

"Excuse me," said as voice as Thomas picked up the last few zucchini at the grocery store because he was making dinner in honor of Felicity moving in. "I need one of those. Do you mind not hogging them all?"

He turned to see a dark-eyed girl staring at him with her basket full of groceries slung over her arm. It was Davina, who'd promised Victoria that she'd make her some zucchini bread. "I'm sorry," he said and handed her one. "Take this."

"I don't want that one!" She scowled, hitting it so that Thomas dropped it and it hit the floor. "It's got all sorts of marks on it! It looks rotten! Why should you get to keep all the good ones for yourself?"

They began to scuffle a bit, but because he was feeling gentlemanly, Thomas didn't fight Davina as much as he could have. He gave her a final gentle push so she was out of his personal space and then gave her a thin-lipped smile.

"Because I was here first," He replied in answer to her question about why he felt entitled to all the good zucchini. "If you wanted the good zucchini, you should have gotten it when you came in. Would you please leave me now?" He turned his back on her and then heard her mutter under her breath before feeling something akin to a strong electric shock course through his body. He dropped the zucchini on the ground as he fell and Davina took it all while he lay there twitching, not even doing a thing to help him.

* * *

When he was next aware, he was lying in a hospital bed and Amelia, Andrew, and Charlotte were sittin6 around him. "Glad to see you're awake," Charlotte said as she pushed his hair out of his eyes. "What in the world happened to you? Do you remember?"

"I was at the store getting the stuff for the fettuccine Alfredo with zucchini I promised I would make for dinner and then some crazy girl came up behind me, did some sort of magic, and then before I knew it, I was twitching on the floor and she'd run off with it all," Thomas said. "I mean, I believe that's what happened. I can't be too sure anymore. Maybe I imagined it all."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Andrew got out. "That seems a pretty ruthless thing to do to someone for just a few zucchini. You survived being attacked by a complete lunatic if it _did_ happen."

Thomas tried to sit up. "I probably should have fought back more, but she was a pretty girl and it didn't seem right."

"And that's where they get you," Andrew told him. "They see a nice, gentlemanly guy like you, know you aren't gonna fight back, and take full advantage of that fact. Don't be afraid to fight back if someone, _anyone_ starts a fight with you. It's very important."

"Yeah," Amelia agreed as she leaned against Andrew and he put his arm around her and kissed her hair. "It really is."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "I'll remember it for next time. Now, should I get ready to go home?"

"They want to keep you over night to make sure you're okay," Amelia said. "They found some abnormalities in your tests that concern them. Did the woman who attacked you have a taser or something?"

"No," Thomas shook his head. "She muttered some words under her breath when my back was turned and then I fell after that."

The three others looked at one another and then Charlotte said, "It looks like you made an enemy out of a witch. Take care of yourself."

"And what will you do about dinner?" Thomas asked.

"We're planning on taking Felicity out," Charlotte assured him. "It was my idea. And tomorrow, I should probably go talk to Stefan about his and Felicity's separation."

"Well, enjoy yourself," Thomas sighed. "I wish I could come with you." That's when he noticed the tray of hospital food on the table beside him, took it, opened it, and poked at the watery green Jell-o. "And this is what I get to eat. Yum."

"We'll come back for you in the morning," Charlotte said as she kissed him deeply and Andrew and Amelia turned their backs. "I promise."

"All right," Thomas nodded and gave her a big smile. "I'll see you then. I can't wait."


	21. Having Need Of A Doctor

"Well, well, well. Here you are again. I thought you were dead." The sound of the voice made Thomas' blood run cold. He then took a deep breath and steeled himself before turning away from his car to face the demon girl in the parking lot at the library. He'd just put his books in the backseat and was preparing to get in and drive away.

"I bet you _wish_ I was dead," Thomas told her. "That's probably what you expected when you left me on the floor. But I'm harder to kill than you think." He came closer to her, running his fingers gently down her neck. "But you…not so much, little witch. I don't like the thought of killing, but if you try and start things with me again, I will. I swear."

Davina pushed his hand away and chuckled. "Oh, really? I'd love to see that."

"Well, you won't," Thomas told her firmly, holding her chin so she had to look him in the eye. "I hope for your sake that we never see each other again."

"Oh, believe me," Davina said before giving him brain pain which made him collapse. "I'd have to agree. I hate our little encounters as much as you do." As he yelled on the ground, Davina sighed and decided to take pity on him. She took his keys from his hand and tried them on the doors of the car he had been standing near. When they opened it, she put Thomas in the front seat and zapped them to where he lived. Leaving the car in the driveway, she dragged Thomas to the front step, set him down while he still yelled because the pain he felt was still ongoing, and then, after ringing the doorbell to get someone's attention, just left him there before disappearing herself.

Unfortunately, Charlotte was the one who answered Davina's ring and the sight of Thomas lying there, clutching his head and yelling, was almost too much for her. She let out a small yell that could have been much louder, and then when Davina's magic had worn off and Thomas was calming down, she helped him to the couch and sat him down.

"What happened?" She asked. "Can I get you anything? How about a glass of water?"

"Sure," Thomas nodded, still wincing a little from the pain in his head that lingered. "That would be nice, thanks."

"So what happened?" Charlotte asked when she brought it back and even helped him handle the cup so he wouldn't spill.

"I ran into that damn witch again," Thomas huffed. "I stood up for myself and she took it a bad way. At least she was nice enough to take me home this time."

"Yes, that _was_ good." Charlotte agreed. She got up and swayed a little.

"What was that?" Thomas asked.

"Oh, nothing," Charlotte replied quickly. "I just…I feel a little dizzy today, that's all." She then bit her lip and avoided his gaze as she wondered whether this was one of the symptoms of whatever would take her away from Thomas for good, and if it was, whether she should tell him the whole truth now to get it out of the way. She decided she would, cause that was what was best for both of them.

"I have a little confession to make about how I came back," she said. "I should have told you at the beginning, but I didn't want to put a damper on things."

"What is it?" Thomas asked.

"Well, you and I weren't technically supposed to be together at all, but when the person who figures these things out learned my previous history, he took pity on me and let me have some time with someone who actually loves me, and of course that's you."

"But?" Thomas asked.

"But the catch is that it won't be forever," Charlotte got out with a sigh. "We'll have our time, but eventually, I'll die again. You and my sons will have to go through letting me go. I know it's a selfish and horrible thing to do to people you love, but…I couldn't pass up my second chance." She looked him in the eye now. "Go ahead. Tell me how mad you are."

"I'm not mad at all," Thomas told her. "I've had many people come in and out of my life. I've had to say many goodbyes to people I care about deeply. So if you're worried that once you die, I won't be able to go on, I promise I will. This isn't a bad thing. It just means we have to make the most of the time we _do_ have, all right?" He took her in his arms and kissed her as she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," she said. "It feels so much better to have that off my shoulders."

"I bet it does," Thomas nodded. He got up, turned on some music, and offered her his hand as the slow melody drifted around the room. "Now…will you dance with me?" He asked, holding out his hand.

"Of course," Charlotte nodded. "I'm much more accustomed to this type of music, so you'll be dealing with a very competent dancer."

They danced through the song and Charlotte enjoyed herself so much that she asked him to put it on again. By the time Andrew and Amelia came back from seeing Matthew, the pair were on their fifth or sixth dance.

"Isn't that sweet?" Amelia whispered to Andrew quietly so they wouldn't spoil the mood.

"Yes," Andrew whispered back. "What do you say we leave them to it before they spot us and go have some alone time for ourselves?"

"Sure," Amelia nodded and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

* * *

"Mom! Dad!" Elijah and Selina were leaving the hospital cafeteria following Selina's latest medical appointment when they heard the voice and turned around, surprised and pleased to see their son Tristan coming toward them, his dark hair neatly cut and his blue eyes bright.

"Well, hello, son!" Elijah cried and gave him a hug. "When did you start working here? Or have you always been and we just haven't seen you?"

"I just started last week," Tristan replied and adjusted his white doctor's coat. He was the youngest of their triplets, and along with his sister Margaret, one of the most promising. He looked his mother over, and said, "I was going to ask why you're here, but I think the answer is pretty obvious. Am I getting a new brother or sister?"

"Both!" Selina smiled and bounced on her heels after taking a bite of the frozen yogurt she'd gotten. "We're having twins! We should have seen that coming after all the work it took to get me pregnant, and I figured as much from how big I was, but it was still a little surprising to hear." She giggled. "I can't wait to tell your grandfather."

"He won't be shocked, if that's what you're expecting," Elijah told her. "He'll be very pleased. And speaking of, when we tell him, please don't go picking a fight, even if he tries to goad you into it."

"All right," Selina agreed grudgingly. "I know you don't like being put in the middle, so I'll spare you that."

"Thank you," Elijah said. Then he looked at Tristan. "Would you want to come over and visit sometime?" he asked. "You and Emily both? I think it might be fun."

"All right," Tristan agreed. "What about after my shift is done tomorrow night? And we won't stay long, I promise. I wouldn't want to wear Mom out."

"Oh, that won't happen," Selina promised. "Now that I'm no longer spending the whole day sick in bed, I'm not something people can stop!"

"All right," Tristan said. "But if you feel tired during our visit, say so and we'll leave. I have to go do more rounds now. Good luck with Grandpa."

"Thank you," Elijah told him. "And we'll see you and Emily tomorrow around six?"

"Sure," Tristan nodded as he walked away. "Can't wait."

* * *

" _Twins_?" Mikael asked when Elijah told him. He looked at Selina and smirked. "My, my, aren't we fertile all of a sudden? You know, I was beginning to wonder."

"I'd say the same about you!" Selina shot back despite her promise to Elijah that she wouldn't give into Mikael's taunting and do something that would put him in the middle of their fighting. She couldn't help it. He was such a big jerk sometimes and she couldn't let it go. Not when everything he said always smacked of hypocrisy. "Tell me… _how_ long has it been since Gwen gave birth to King again?"

Mikael stood up and growled and Elijah placed himself between his father and his wife. "All right, all right, enough. We came because we thought you should know the news, Father. Not because we wanted to start a fight."

"Did you let your wife know that before you came here?" Mikael asked him.

"You know very well you provoked her," Elijah told him firmly as Selina stuck out her tongue at Mikael from behind Elijah's back. "Don't start things with her if you don't want some sort of response. Although she _did_ promise me she'd be quiet this time. But you can't stop the hormones, I guess."

Mikael sighed. "I miss the women you used to marry. _They_ never caused trouble."

"Well, that's because they were products of their time," Elijah told him. "And don't pretend like you hate bold women; if you did, you wouldn't have married Gwen and you know it."

" _Why_ wouldn't he have married Gwen?" Gwen asked, coming through the front door just in time to hear Elijah's last remarked.

"Your husband was just saying that he's not fond of strong women," Selina told her. "What do you say to that?"

"I would think it's absolute nonsense," Gwen told her, her blue eyes flashing. "What brought this conversation on?"

"He said I have too much attitude and he missed the sort of women Elijah went after when they were all human cause they hardly ever said a word," Selina elaborated, gleeful about getting to rat Mikael out to his wife.

"Well, when I said that, I wasn't talking about _you_ , Gwendolyn," Mikael told her quickly. "I was talking about _other_ annoying modern women who _aren't_ you."

"What did you and I decide you were gonna say when Selina told you about her news?" Gwen asked him. "We decided that all you would do was say 'Congratulations' and leave it at that. Why did you veer from the script?"

"He can't help it," Selina told her. "It's his way. I'm used to it by now."

"Yes, but that doesn't make it okay," Gwen told her firmly.

Mikael stood up. "If you want me to apologize, I don't plan on it," Mikael told Gwen firmly.

"I wouldn't ask you to," Gwen told him. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it."

Mikael stalked off then and Gwen sat down in his place. "So," she said to Selina, "what's the verdict?"

"Twins," Selina said. "A boy and a girl. I'm naming the boy Alexander Jacob after my uncles."

"And I get to name the girl, but I haven't decided on a name yet," Elijah added. "Maybe Stephanie. I've always been fond of that."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Gwen told them. "And I'm sure your father is too, even if he shows it by acting like a child. If you need me for anything, just let me know."

"Thank you," Elijah told her. "We will."

* * *

Despite Selina's bravado about staying up all through Emily and Tristan's visit, she felt herself getting tired just after they ate dinner, much too early for her liking. She tried to stifle a yawn, but all it did was make her eyes water, and it didn't fool her son or his wife.

"Are you getting tired now, Selina?" Emily asked, her big brown eyes full of concern. "We can go if you are. We don't want to wear you out." When she and Tristan had met, she'd been human, but a virulent form of cancer had made Tristan (aided by his cousin Henry) determined to keep her alive. So they'd stuck her in another body, and later that body had been turned into a vampire and she and Tristan had been living together without anything getting in the way of their happiness ever since.

"That's nice, but you've hardly been here long enough for the trip to be worth the effort if I retire now," Selina told her. "I'm fine, I promise." But she fell asleep not long after, and Tristan put an afghan over his mother's body.

"I think we'll go now," he told his father. "Maybe our next visit can be earlier in the day so we'll actually have time to talk."

"I'd like that," Elijah nodded. "And remember what your mother said about taking that leftover cake home: if you want it, it's yours."

"I don't think we'll have a problem remembering that," Emily smiled, zipping into the kitchen and taking a couple of slices of cake in hand before coming back. "It was great to see you again and like Tristan says, I hope the next one is much earlier so we can make the most of it."

"At the very least you can tell me when Mom's next appointment is and I can meet you for some food in the hospital cafeteria," Tristan continued. "I know that's not much, but it's something."

"Yes," Elijah nodded as he gave his sleeping wife a long look and then followed Tristan and Emily to the door. "Yes, it really is."


	22. A Couple Troublesome Girls

"I can't believe you and Felicity aren't a couple any longer," Charlotte said to Stefan. "It's really a shame."

"It isn't," Stefan shook his head. "Not as much as you would think. The break wasn't even sad. It was as if she were telling me that we needed to get milk at the store. _That_ little emotion." He sighed. "I guess that's what comes with being with someone just because they're there and not because you really and truly feel for them. At least not in a romantic way." He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "I wonder if I really _can_ hold on to a relationship and be a vampire at the same time, or if I have to go back to denying what I am if I want to make things work."

"If you want to make it work, you will," Charlotte told him. "Even if the circumstances aren't ideal. I know it."

"I hope so," Stefan nodded. Then he looked at his brother. "And you give me hope too, Damon. If you can be like you are and still hold on to Lucy, I guess I _do_ have a chance."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Now you just have to find a girl."

"You make it sound so easy," Stefan sighed.

"I can help you," Damon told him. "With me as your wingman, it will be."

Charlotte smiled at this. "It's nice to see the two of you getting along," she commented. "Just like when I was alive. Granted, it took a small period of adjustment before it happened, but once it did, it never changed." She sighed in a happy way, watching as Damon and Stefan went to get their coats, and then asked, "How late will the two of you be out?"

"Who knows, Mother?" Damon shrugged. "It all depends on how popular your younger son is with the ladies. But we'll be careful and keep ourselves safe, we promise."

"Good," Charlotte nodded. "Thank you. That's all I want."

* * *

They decided to drive Stefan's red Porsche to the club, but were stopped at a stoplight when someone rear-ended them. Stefan got out of the car and saw the vehicle he presumed to be the culprit driving away.

"Are you gonna run after them?" Damon asked. "Should I just stay here, then?"

"Of course you should!" Stefan replied and sped away. He managed to catch up with the car and leaped on top, leaning down to stare through the windshield and giving the driver and her companion such a fright that they began driving erratically and eventually crashed into a tree.

"Just what in the hell is your _problem_?" The young woman screamed at him when left the car and got right in his face. Her companion, a young man with dark eyes and dark hair just like hers, stood behind her protectively and cracked his knuckles. "Do you realize that you made us crash?"

"Well, do you realize that you crashed into my car and then drove away? That's not very good manners, you know," Stefan chided. "It's called 'fleeing the scene of the crime' and you can get in big trouble for it."

The girl turned to her companion and they gave each other a look. "I guess you learn something new every day," she said. "You'll have to excuse us for not knowing before. We don't drive very much."

Stefan scoffed. "Well, that's obvious," he said. Now, let's take you back so we can call the police and see just how much you'll be paying to fix my car."

The other young man let out a growl and advanced on Stefan as if he were going to attack him, but the young woman held him back. "No, Ian," she told him firmly. "Let me handle this. We don't want news of us causing trouble to get out, do we?"

"No," Ian sighed. "I guess not, Samantha. Fine, you go and handle it."

"Thank you," Samantha told him and turned back to Stefan. "You know, I don't think it's really fair that you're making us pay for the damage to your car."

"Why not?" Stefan asked. "You're the one who wrecked it."

"It's a fucking Porsche!" Samantha cried. "That means you have money, which also means that you can pay for the damn repairs yourself. You snobs just have no respect for those less fortunate than you. You laugh in their faces and don't care who you hurt! Why do you think we crashed into you and not someone else in a crappier car?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "So you and your friend here crashed into my car because you knew I had money to fix it and figured that meant you wouldn't have to take responsibility? You crashed into my car _on purpose?"_

"Oh, don't you give me that judgmental look," Samantha told him, her dark eyes narrowing. "Like you've never done anything wild or crazy before."

"I have," Stefan nodded. "But I try not to do anything stupid. That would be a good thing for you to remember."

Sparks of magic began crackling between Samantha's fingers and Stefan whispered, "Witch".

"Yeah," Samantha nodded. "That's right. The last thing I want is for some…whatever you are, to tell me what to do. Vampire, from the way you leaped onto the car. Am I right?"

"Yes," Stefan nodded, baring his teeth and reaching for her. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Of course!" Samantha smiled. "But I thought you said you didn't do anything stupid." She let him get closer to her and then sent him flying back with a burst of magic that was soon interrupted when Damon sped over, tackled her, and threw her face first onto the ground.

"You're not the only one who has a friend to protect you," he said. "Stefan does too. Now what do you say we all agree to pretend this never happened and go our own ways?"

"Get off me, you bastard!" Samantha whispered angrily. Damon got off her and then after some more talking, she finally agreed to fix the damage on Stefan's car. Then they all went their separate ways, and while Damon tried to set him up with several girls, none of them made as much of an impression on Stefan as that annoying witch who crashed into his car.

* * *

After being victimized by Davina twice, Thomas decided to listen to his parents' advice and take things with her into his own hands. He went to the park, sat down on a bench, and waited. It was when he was minding his own business that she seemed to show up. And this time was no different.

"Hey!" She cried, snatching the book out of his hands. "What are you reading?"

"Why do you show up when I want to have peace and quiet?" He asked. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Well, don't worry, I'll probably leave you alone soon," She assured him. "You're boring. I try and do stuff to you and you never fight back. You're not worth it." She began to walk away, and then he pushed up his sleeves and grabbed her. "I am not!" He cried, then as she smiled wickedly, he bit down deeply into her neck and took his sweet time savoring her blood. He then dropped Davina to the ground and she looked up at him and smiled. "How do I taste?" She asked. "Do I taste good? Did you enjoy yourself? Would you bite me again if I let you? Or even if I didn't let you?"

Thomas started to say 'Yes', but then shook his head. "No!" He said forcefully and backed away from her. "I only bit you to prove a point. To prove that I won't let you just victimize me for your own enjoyment. I'm not going to make a habit of it because that's wrong."

"Really?" Davina asked. "Cause it's a real shame." She got up real close to him, standing on her toes so that her lips were against his ear. "I wouldn't mind your teeth in my neck again. I really wouldn't."

Thomas looked at her, aghast as blood flowed from her wound. "Are you insane?" He asked. "How are you even able to stand up? We need to get you to the hospital so what I did can be fixed!" He pushed her to his car, sat her in the backseat, and belted her in before driving off to the hospital and using his powers to get her through the line in at the emergency room so they could take her and do what needed to be done in order to get her healed as soon as possible.

When she was finally resting in bed, he stood over her and moved her hair out of her eyes. "I'm really sorry about this," he apologized. "Is there anyone I should call so they know where you are?"

"My phone is in my purse," Davina told him. "All the numbers are there. And I know it's a lot to ask, but please, just say you found me hurt. Don't tell them what I did to you. Otherwise, they might get mad and send me back to the asylum where they got me."

"Okay," Thomas nodded as he pressed in the numbers for Victoria. "I won't tell the whole truth. I promise."

* * *

"I need some help," Thomas told Elijah and Selina after Elijah let him in following his return from the hospital. "I've done something very wrong. But I was provoked, so that makes it not so bad, right?" He took some deep breaths and tried to calm down.

"What happened?" Selina asked. "Whatever you did, I bet it isn't so bad that we can't fix it."

"You know I'm deeply devoted to Charlotte, right?" Thomas asked. "Well, there's this girl, she's a witch I think, and whenever I want peace and quiet, she shows up and hurts me! Just to amuse herself! So today she challenges me to fight back, and I did. She was smirking at me and I grabbed her and bit her and…I don't know what I was thinking! It was a terrible thing to do!"

"Well, since you were provoked, as long as you don't make a habit of it, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Elijah assured Thomas, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Selina scoffed. "If she keeps picking on him, of course he's gonna have to keep fighting back and nothing about that is shameful!" She gave Thomas a look. "Do you feel bad fighting her because she's a girl?"

"Well, yes," Thomas nodded.

"You have to get over that!" Selina insisted. "If I wasn't pregnant, I would help you fix that mindset, but I can't. Just think about it, though. No amount of gentlemanly behavior is worth your dignity or your life."

"No," Thomas agreed. "It's not. Thank you for telling me that. It really helps."

"No problem," Selina replied and lay down on the sofa as Thomas went to lie down in his room.

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked. "Does your back hurt?"

"No, it's not my back," Selina assured him. "Everyone's just jockeying for position and it feels a little…odd."

"Well, there's not really anything I can do about that," Elijah said as he came to put a hand on her stomach. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Selina smiled and kissed him. "It's not your fault." She paused. "Well, not entirely, anyway. Can I have some tea?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded. "What kind would you like?"

Selina shrugged. "It doesn't matter," she told him. "Surprise me."


	23. Knight In Shining Armor

"So did you do what we told you to?" Andrew asked. "Did you take a tough stance against that girl who's been bothering you?"

"Yes," Thomas sighed. "But I feel kind of bad about it. It put her in the hospital. I didn't mean for that to happen!"

"I know you probably didn't, but like we always tell you, it's not bad to hurt someone who's hurting you," Andrew told him. "Kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest."

"Yes, I know, I get that," Thomas sighed. "I think I'll go see Charlotte. She'll keep my mind off what a bad person I am."

"You're not a bad person," Amelia told him calmly. "You're a very good person who stood up for himself. And I'm sure since you got the girl to the hospital, she'll come out of it just fine."

"Yeah," Thomas nodded and tried to cheer himself up. "I really will try to remember that. Can I borrow your keys?"

"Sure," Amelia nodded. "Have a good time. And be sure to say 'Hello' to Charlotte for us. And if you can remember, would you mention that we want to have dinner with her sometime, please?"

"Of course I will," Thomas replied. "I swear I won't forget."

"Thank you very much," Amelia called after him as he made his way to the door. "I appreciate it." Then she went back and cuddled in Andrew's arms. "Poor boy. What he did to that girl really did a number on him, even though he was just trying to protect himself. And he did all for her that he could. You can't say he did her wrong and then ran off."

Andrew chuckled. "He's a good boy for sure, but I have to wonder where he got his moral sense from. Did you and the good doctor take him to a religious orphanage after he was born?"

"You know, I really don't remember," Amelia replied as Andrew ran his fingers through her curly blonde hair. "It was such a traumatic thing to have to do that I think I blocked it out as soon as it happened and we'd gotten in the carriage and driven away. I mean, I knew the general event happened, but I really tried to forget specific details."

"I don't blame you for wanting to forget," Andrew replied. "First you lose me, and then you have to give up our son."

"Well, I didn't have to, but based on how raising Selina was going, I didn't think I could handle raising another child without its father," Amelia told him. I think I made the right choice. He turned out a lot better than he probably would have if he'd been raised by my family. It was probably pure dumb luck that Selina turned out as well as she did."

"That and you recognized where there were problems and did the best you could to keep her away from them," Andrew added. "I know you won't believe this, but in your own way, under the circumstances, you were a good mother, even if you felt you weren't the best mother in the world."

"Well, I really did try," Amelia said.

"I know you did," Andrew replied as she kissed him, and then when she pulled away and lay her head on his shoulder, he repeated, "I know."

* * *

"So you travel around and play music?" Charlotte asked Sam.

"Yeah, I do," Sam nodded. "I like that life."

"But doesn't it feel like you don't really have a home?" Charlotte asked.

Sam shrugged. "My life has always been kind of weird. Not the picket fence type of thing where I live with my parents and siblings and everyone is happy. I can't miss what I never really had."

They then heard a soft voice say, "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Charlotte turned and invited Thomas in. "You're not interrupting anything," she told him. "Come and sit. And meet my grandson, Sam. You're his uncle I think."

"Hello," Thomas said, stopping to give Charlotte a quick kiss before he sat down. "I'm Thomas, nice to meet you."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I feel the same way.

"So…grandson?" Thomas asked Charlotte.

"Selina's his mother," Charlotte replied.

"Oh," Thomas nodded. "Okay."

"Speaking of Mom, how is she?" Sam asked.

"Expecting," Charlotte replied. "A child, I mean. Any day now from the looks of her." She then began coughing.

"Are you all right?" Thomas asked. "Do you have any medicine I can go get you?"

"No, I'm-" Charlotte gave a particularly hacking cough that made her gasp as if she were going to die. "I'm fine."

"I really think we should get you to bed," Sam told her and helped her up. "What in the world do you think is wrong with you?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said. She stood up and then her knees felt weak and she swooned with Sam catching her just in time.

"Why don't we get you to bed?" He suggested. "It's the best thing for you now. You'll get some rest and you'll feel much better in a couple of hours."

"I don't know," Charlotte replied as Sam handed her over to Thomas. "But what will it hurt?"

When Thomas had tucked Charlotte into bed and taken her hand, he said, "Do you think this has to do with that deal you made to be brought back? Would you like me to tell your sons what's going on with you?"

"No, it can't be time for that yet," Charlotte replied. "It's too soon. And even if it wasn't, I would want them to hear it from me directly and not secondhand from you. I feel I owe them that."

"Well, I'll make sure you can do that," he said and kissed her hand. "But whatever you have, I'm sure you won't drop dead from it immediately. We should make the most of the time we have. I'll even move in here with you if you want. Or do you still want to be with me at Amelia and Andrew's?"

Charlotte looked at him for a moment and looked at Sam, who held her other hand. "I think," she said at last, "I think it would be best if I stayed here with my family. Would you mind?"

"No, of course not. I want what's best for you," Thomas told her. "But you don't know that whatever you have going on now is going to kill you. It could just be a cough. They have medicine to fix that now. Please don't give up on me. I know that might sound selfish, but I don't want us to waste time that we could be spending together because you think you're dying when you're not."

"All right," Charlotte told him and sat up. "I just…I feel better now. I think I got so worried that my brain made it worse than it was. Is that possible?"

"Yeah, it is," Sam replied. "I think you'll be okay, at least for now. And…you don't want me to tell Dad anything?"

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "That's a nice offer, but in time, I'll tell Damon and Stefan myself."

* * *

"Hello," Victoria said when she opened the door to Thomas' knock. After a couple of hours with Charlotte, he'd left her in Sam's care (at her insistence) and gone to visit Davina's house. "Who are you?"

"I'm Thomas," Thomas replied. "Does Davina live here? I'm the one who made sure she got to the hospital the other day and I want to make sure she's all right."

"Well, aren't you sweet?" Victoria smiled. "Please, come in.

Thomas came inside and took a seat on the sofa while Victoria called for Davina. "The nice man who brought you to the hospital is here!" She said. "Don't you want to come out and thank him?"

"Yes, I do," Davina said after coming down the stairs. Then, once Victoria had excused herself, she strode over to him, getting close to him so that their chests were touching. "How did you find out where I live?"

"I memorized the address on your chart," Thomas smiled. "You're not the only one who can just appear out of nowhere and surprise people. Now don't you want to thank me?"

"Yes," Davina sighed. "Thank you."

"Well, that seemed half-hearted," Thomas told her.

"Oh, you want more?" She asked, grabbed him, and kissed him. "Is that enough?" She asked.

He coughed and stepped back from her a little. "I-I guess it's a good start," he said.

"Well, what else do you need?" Davina wanted to know. "Cause I'm not taking my shirt off for you or anything."

"Of course I wouldn't ask you to do that," Thomas assured her, trying to keep his eyes from her low cut deep purple blouse. "We don't know each other well enough yet. I'd at least want to buy you dinner first."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Davina wanted to know.

"No!" Thomas shook his head. "Of course not. And I know it's way too soon for me to be taking blood from you. So I think…I think now that I've done the right thing and come to check on you, I'll go now." He headed for the door. "Goodbye. I'm glad I didn't hurt you too badly."

Thomas left just as Samantha came to join Davina by the door. She'd been watching the whole exchange from the stairs. "Who's that?" She asked. "He's got a nice butt."

"Just a guy who I like to bother sometimes," Davina shrugged. "He bit me and it put me in the hospital."

"You're not just gonna let that go, are you?" Samantha asked. "Why not return the favor?"

"I don't know if I should," Davina told her. "I don't want to get thrown out."

"You won't if no one knows what you did," Samantha told her. "I mean, they still don't know what I did to that guy Ian and I ran into, do they?"

"No," Davina shook her head. "I guess not."

"So…what are you gonna do to this guy in return?" Samantha asked. "It better be good. I can think of something if you can't."

"Sure," Davina smiled. "Let's talk."


	24. Giving Into The Darkness

"Selina?" Amelia called as she shut the door to Selina and Elijah's house behind her. "Where are you? Are you okay? Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, please," Selina called back. "I would appreciate that."

Amelia followed the sound of her daughter's voice to the living room where she found her daughter sitting among piles of yellow and lavender yarn. "Are you making bootees and hats?" She asked.

"Yes, I am," Selina nodded. "It's a way to pass my time when I can't do much else."

"Oh, I know how you feel," she sighed. "Not that I ever had to deal with twins, but my god." She paused. "You want me to give you a hand up so you can make a trip to the bathroom?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "That would be lovely."

Amelia helped her up and then took her place with the knitting until she was done and came back.

"You know, you're getting much better at this," Selina remarked. "You wanna take charge of Drew's things and I'll start Stephanie's?"

"Whose is whose?" Amelia asked. "Since you're not using pink and blue it's hard to tell."

"Stephanie is lavender, Drew is yellow," Selina told her.

"Okay," Amelia nodded, taking needles and yarn in hand. "Got it."

They started knitting and got so absorbed in it that they didn't even hear a thing until Elijah came home and slammed the door shut. "Selina!" He called. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you!" Selina called back. "Mama's here! We're knitting!"

"Good!" Elijah replied, coming into the living room and kissing the top of Selina's head. "I'm glad you found a way to occupy your time. And I got a surprise for you."

"Did you?" Selina asked, tilting her head back to look up at him. "What is it?"

"Sit up," he told her, and then when she did, he dropped a large bag of sour cream and onion potato chips in her lap.

"Thank you!" She cried happily as she hugged it. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Well, you've been doing a good job taking care of yourself," Elijah told her. "And I wanted you to know how proud I was of you for that."

"So you're giving me something that will allow me to ruin that habit completely?" Selina asked, marveling at the size of the chip bag.

"No, of course not," Elijah replied. "I trust you'll eat them in moderation or, even better yet, share them with people."

He then went to his office to check his messages while Selina took the hint and offered the chip bag to her mother after she opened it and took out a handful.

"Oh, I couldn't take something that was brought special for you," Amelia shook her head. "But thank you anyway."

"If you want some, go ahead and take them," Selina insisted. "You heard Elijah. He wants me to share."

Just then the doorbell rang and Amelia got up to get it. "Who's that?" She asked.

"Oh, it's probably Ginger," Selina replied. "She's our cleaning lady. When you get the door, there's a box of fudge by the stairs that I want you to make sure she knows about. I made it for her."

"You made sweets for your cleaning lady?" Amelia asked. "But you also pay her. Surely that's enough compensation."

"Hey, she makes it so I can be as messy as I want and don't have to clean," Selina said. "She deserves much more than money."

Amelia just went with it. It was the same open-minded attitude that her daughter had had about the help her entire life and it didn't seem like it was going to change now. She grabbed the fudge box and opened the door, greeting the chubby, smiling red-headed woman who was standing on the other side. "Hello, Ginger. Come inside, please. And my daughter wants you to have this fudge cause she said you liked it."

"How nice of her!" Ginger smiled and stepped inside, setting her cleaning materials down so she could grab the box and take it back to her car. "My grandson will be so pleased!"

When she came back, Amelia and Selina had resumed knitting on the sofa. "Hello, Selina," she said. "Is there anywhere that needs my attention more, or can I just pick a place and get to work?"

"You can just pick a spot," Selina told her with a smile. "Since I can't move around so well anymore, I haven't been able to make as big of a mess."

"All right," Ginger smiled. "How long until you're due?"

"It's only a month or so, but it seems so much longer," Selina said. "It's like I've been carrying for _years!_ "

"You seem to have a very close relationship with your servants," Amelia remarked.

"I don't like to think of them as servants," Selina told her. "That creates distance between me and them that I'm not comfortable with. I spent a lot of my human life making friends with the people who worked for us because I didn't feel like I had anyone else to talk to, and I'm not gonna change that pattern now."

"Well, I'm proud of you," Amelia replied and got back to her knitting. "If it works for you, I won't complain." She paused. "Do you think she could come and do a couple days a week for your uncle and me?"

"I don't know," Selina shrugged. "You can ask her when she gets done."

"Good," Amelia nodded. "I've been wanting a cleaning person. You don't think she'll be put off by how oddly our house is decorated, do you?"

"No," Selina replied. "Her parents were in the circus. She's seen all sorts of incredible things. I don't think you're house will faze her at all."

* * *

"You don't have to do this now," Thomas told Charlotte as they waited for Damon and Stefan to arrive so Charlotte could tell them about the price for her coming back. "It can always wait until you feel a little better. You can have Sam tell them. It's not too late."

"I told you that I need to tell them in person," Charlotte said firmly. "I owe them that."

"All right," Thomas nodded and held her hand tight. "If that's what you want, I'll support you."

It was then that Sam came in with Damon and Stefan trailing behind him.

"What is it, Mother?" Damon asked. Then he glared at Thomas. "Do you mind? This is a private family matter that doesn't involve you."

"Actually it does," Charlotte told him firmly. "I've asked him to stay. Cause what I have to tell you…it's hard for me to say."

"Is it that you and he have decided to elope and you're afraid to tell us?" Stefan asked, enjoying the color his brother's face turned when he said this.

"No, it's not that," Charlotte shook her head. "It's just that…when I came back, the rule was that it wouldn't be forever. At some point, possibly very soon, I'm going to die again. And when that happens, will all of you take care of each other? Please?"

"I don't know how you can ask me to promise that," Damon said after a moment as he tried to keep a somber face and not cry in front of his brother. "I don't." He strode from the room then and Sam told Charlotte, "Don't worry about it. I can deal with him."

"All right," Charlotte nodded. "Good luck."

It didn't take long for Sam to locate his father in his bedroom with the covers thrown over his head.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"No," Damon told him. "Go away."

"I know you're upset because of what's going on with Grandma, but do you really think this is the right way to handle it?" Sam asked.

"You're right," Damon nodded and sat up. "I should be drinking at Roxie's instead!" He tried to get up, but Sam stopped him.

"What would it hurt you to get along with Thomas?" He asked.

"It would hurt me because that is the guy out there who is stealing my mother away and I don't like him!" Damon huffed. "Why doesn't anyone understand this?"

"I know that finding out your mother's situation is hard for you," Sam said. "It's hard for everyone. But you want her to be happy, right? Especially if she's got a short time to live?"

"Yes," Damon sighed. "I suppose."

"Then I say grit your teeth and support her being with Thomas. And I'm sure she doesn't expect you to be best buddies with him," Sam added. "You can be civil though, right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Damon nodded. "For Mother's sake I will. And yours. But I won't be his friend."

"And that's fine," Sam said. "I don't think anyone is asking you to."

* * *

"Well, well, well, look who it is?" Thomas heard the voice and put his drink down as he saw Davina and Samantha approaching him and vying for the empty seat next to him at the bar. He'd gone there to feel less worn out by what was going on with Charlotte.

"Hello," he said. "No offense, but I'm really not up for company right now. Especially not any like yours."

"Is something wrong?" Samantha asked. She looked at the three empty glasses Thomas had in front of him and said, "You must be going through a rough time. Can we buy you another round?"

"Sure," Thomas nodded. "Thank you. I would love that."

So they did, and soon, Thomas was downing glass after glass while both Davina and Samantha chanted "Chug! Chug! Chug!"

When he had drunk enough that he was swaying as he got to his feet, they took him out to his car and Samantha began unbuttoning his shirt. "What should we do now?"

"Oh, don't do what I think you're gonna do," Davina told her. "I'm all for messing with him, but that's overstepping."

Samantha giggled. "No it's not."

But then, as she got his pants zipper down, that's when he grabbed her, and she let out a terrible shriek as he sank his fangs into her neck.

Davina watched him take her friends' blood and was full of feelings. What those feelings were, she didn't know. Jealousy? Envy? Fear for Samantha? She tried to tug on Thomas, but instead of getting off her completely, Thomas just turned to Davina, smiled with Samantha's blood on his mouth, and said, "Now just a minute. It's not your turn. But I'm very hungry, so don't worry."

Davina watched this go on for a little bit and then someone coming out of the bar caught her eye. He looked like a man that Samantha had said she and Ian had run into. She opened the car door, got out, and ran over to him. "Hey," she said. "I need you for a minute."

"No, thanks," Stefan shook his head. "You're not my type." He began to walk away and then Davina said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"It's Samantha. She's causing trouble."

"Aww, damn!" Stefan swore and turned to follow Davina back to the car. He looked in the back seat and was very surprised by what he saw: Thomas, his mother's saintly boyfriend, feeding off someone. He roughly pulled him off her and when he hissed, Stefan said, "What's wrong with you? My mother wouldn't want you to be like this! You have to stop!"

"Charlotte," Thomas whispered. "Charlotte. Thank you. Thank you for bringing me back."

"I only did this because I know my mother wouldn't want you to become a killer for a pain in the ass like that one back there," Stefan replied. "Now, you wanna give her some of your blood so that she's healed up?"

"I-I can?" Thomas asked. "You mean I don't have to take her to the hospital?"

"Not if you don't want to do something risky and stupid," Stefan replied. "Now hurry up. Based on the looks of this, you took quite a bit."

"Yeah," Thomas nodded and tried to get the blood off his teeth. "I guess I lost control a bit."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I found it very arousing?" Davina asked.

"No," Thomas replied and bit his wrist. "Not really." He watched the blood dribble into Samantha's mouth and when she seemed stronger, he told Davina to take her home. "I don't want anymore excitement," he said. "I've had enough for today."

"How much are you gonna beat yourself up over this?" Davina wanted to know as she helped Samantha out of the car. "A lot?"

"No," Thomas told her. "I will accept this as a fact of my life and move on from it. Worrying doesn't help, nor can it change what's already been done."

"That's mature," Stefan told him.

"Thank you," Thomas replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home."

"Me too," Stefan nodded. "I don't think you should be driving though. Come and ride with me."

"Thanks," Thomas said as they headed to his car. "I didn't bring a car. I figured something like this would happen, so I walked."


	25. Do The Best You Can

"How are you feeling?" Thomas asked Charlotte as they sat next to each other in the living room at Damon and Lucy's reading. "Good? Bad? Can I do anything for you?"

"You know, it's very sweet of you to want to take care of me, but you don't have to," Charlotte told him. "I'm not dying just yet." She paused. "Are you all right? If there's something you need to get off your chest, let me know."

"Thanks," Thomas told her. "But I don't want to burden you with it. You're going through enough already."

"Oh, come here," Charlotte insisted. She got up from the sofa and came over to put her arms around him, giving him a big kiss. "I know it probably won't help much, but we can try, can't we?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I think it would be best for both of us if we made the most of the time we had left and tried not to even think about how there's a limit."

They kissed again and Thomas paused. "Do you really think we should do this here? I don't want to bother your son."

"Look at me," Charlotte told him firmly. "It's nice that you want to be considerate, but sometimes you should just do what you want. No matter what we do, my son won't approve of us, so it's better to just do what we need to do to be happy."

Thomas smiled and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I think you're right." He then picked her up and carried her to her room. They made sure the door was closed and locked before undressing and hopping into bed together.

Thomas held Charlotte close and she closed her eyes breathed slowly as he kissed her hair, both her cheeks, and her lips. When he began kissing her neck, she tensed.

"What?" Thomas asked. "What's the matter?"

"If you want to do it, go ahead," she said. "Bite me."

"Oh, I can't," Thomas told her quickly. Then he paused. "Wait a minute. Why not? It would stop you from being sick. Stop you from dying."

"I know it would," Charlotte nodded, reaching up to cup his face. "But it just…it wouldn't be right. I've cheated enough to take this time to be with you."

"So if you don't want me to turn you, why did you ask me to bite you?" He wanted to know.

"I just…I wanted to do something that I've always been afraid of," she said. "I've always been told that vampires were bad. I've heard things about my sons' behavior that are frightening. But you…you're one of the good ones, aren't you?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded. "I try to be. But I've fallen off the wagon a little, I admit."

"No, you couldn't," Charlotte smiled.

Thomas was nervous about biting her, but since he'd already fed, he tried to give her what she wanted. He managed to stop after taking just a bit. Then, he buried himself inside her and hugged her tight.

"I have only one more thing I need to ask you," she said.

"What?" Thomas asked. "I'll do anything for you. You know that."

"Before I die," she said, letting him go and looking him the eye. "Will you…will you make an honest woman out of me? Even if it's only for a little while?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded and slowly kissed the fingers of the hand that would soon be wearing his ring. "Of course I will."

* * *

"So, that guy," Samantha said to Davina, "The one that bit me. Is he normally like that?"

"Not that I know of," Davina shook his head. "Normally I have to goad him into action."

"Who bit you?" Ian wanted to know. "Tell me who they are so I can punch them in the face!"

"No, that won't do any good," Samantha said. "Besides, I think Davina's got irritating him covered."

"Make sure you give him lots of trouble for Samantha's sake," Ian told Davina firmly.

"Oh, I will," Davina assured him, being careful not to mention how arousing watching Samantha being bitten had been for her. "And you might be a little nicer to that guy whose car you wrecked," she added. "I believe he's her knight in shining armor now."

Samantha scoffed when she heard that. "I doubt he did it to rescue me," she said. "He probably just wanted to make sure I wasn't dead so that he could do the same sort of thing himself when he had the chance."

"Don't worry," Ian told her and put a hand on her arm. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

Samantha sighed and gave her brother a long look. "Thank you for caring so much," she told him. "But you can have a life of your own, you know. You don't have to spend every waking moment looking after me. I can take care of myself."

"Are you sure?" Ian asked, some rare softness in his dark eyes as he took Samantha in her arms and Davina quickly shifted her gaze. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Nothing will," Samantha promised. "I won't let it."

* * *

The next day, Samantha went out without Ian at her heels for the first time in her life, and although she loved her brother very much, she had to admit that being alone was one of the most liberating things she'd ever experienced. She wasn't alone for long, though.

"Are there any other innocent people you plan on terrorizing today?" Stefan asked as he approached her table at the same bar where they'd met before.

"I couldn't think of any when I came in, but now that you're here, I'm getting ideas," she said. "And may I remind you that last time we met, _I_ was the one who was the victim?"

Stefan scoffed. "You can point it out, but that doesn't mean I'm going to feel sorry for you."

"I'm not asking you to!" Samantha told him. "I never asked for your pity or anyone else's." She then zapped the drink he held into her hand and drank it herself, choking and spitting it back into the cup. "I don't like this," she said. "What the hell is it?"

"Bourbon," Stefan informed her, a smirk on his lips. "Straight up. And now that you've tainted it with your spit, I'm not taking it back."

"I'm not drinking this," Samantha said and threw the drink all over him. "There. Now you can get a new drink and so can I!"

"Right," Stefan nodded. "But first I'm going to dry my shirt off." He then headed off to the bathroom and after waiting a few seconds to give him a head start, Samantha decided to follow, just to see what he looked like under that shirt. She opened the door as much as she could without being noticed, but even with so small a visual window, she could see abs. perfectly sculpted abs. She shut the door gently, turned around, and sucked in her breath. She sure knew how to pick 'em. Even if he didn't have a pleasant personality, he could still be fun. There was no way she was letting this one go.

* * *

Selina had let her mother finish the hats and bootees for the twins, and just as she was driving to pick them up, her water broke. She managed to get to Amelia and Andrew's house and get inside, but by the time they got her in a bed, the pain was so bad Selina felt she was going to pass out.

"So this just happened when you were in your car?" Amelia asked, holding tight to Selina's hand.

"Actually, I've been having pains since this morning, but they weren't so bad, so I didn't tell Elijah," Selina said. "I probably should have, but he got a call from one of our friends whose parents are currently away to come check on her, and I didn't have time to mention it before he left."

"Well, I believe I should tell your uncle to go call him now, shouldn't I?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded and groaned. "That-that might be a good idea."

"What in the world is going on in here?" Andrew asked in response to Amelia's summons. "I've been trying to read and all the yelling makes it very difficult."

"Selina is in labor!" Amelia told him. "That's what all the yelling is about! Go call her husband and tell him to get over here so he can see his children being born!"

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry!" Andrew told his niece, his expression much less gruff than it had been before. I had no idea. I'm not mad at you, I promise!"

"There's no time for apologies!" Amelia snapped. "Just go and call Elijah! Please!" She looked at her daughter. "And do you think there would be time to call some sort of doctor, or are we gonna have to do this on our own?"

"I think…I think we'll have to do this on our own," Selina replied and then screamed. "But don't worry. Elijah's delivered one of our kids before. I trust him."

By the time Elijah threw himself into the room, he was panting just as much as Selina was. "Sorry," he told her as he got up and ran over the bed. "I tried to get over here as fast as I could because I didn't want to be late."

"Well, you're just in time," She said as he removed his coat. "The first one is coming. And you don't have to use your coat this time. They have towels."

"Right," Elijah nodded. He ran to get a large white towel and then looked at Amelia. "This doesn't feel like an expensive towel. Is it okay to use?"

"It doesn't matter," Amelia assured him. "Not in this instance."

A few minutes later, baby Andrew emerged. Stephanie took a bit more time to come out, and once she was, Selina was full of relief. "Do you think we should call the ambulance or something to take me to the hospital?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded and got out his phone. "I think that would be a very good idea."

While he called the hospital, Selina gave her mother a smile. "Thank you for helping me through this," she said. "I appreciate it."

"Oh, that's no problem," Amelia said and kissed her cheek. "I-I really liked it. It really made me feel like your mother."

When the ambulance arrived, Amelia even held Selina's hand during the ride to the hospital while Elijah stood behind the drivers and urged them to go faster because he had two children and a wife who needed to be taken care of.

"Sir, we understand that," the driver told him patiently. "We're doing the best we can."

"Well, you better be!" Elijah replied. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"Just relax." Selina urged. "We're going to be okay. It's not good to antagonize people who, if angered, could drive us into a tree or something. Not that they would do that, but it's a good thing to remember.

"You're right," Elijah nodded and ran his hand through his hair before going to stand next to Amelia who held Stephanie while Selina held baby Drew. "You're right. I can be calm. Nothing is solved by being agitated."

"Exactly," Selina nodded. "Nothing."


	26. Two Jailbirds

"You know, you're really something," Davina told Thomas as they once again crossed paths at the grocery store.

"We just keep meeting like this," Thomas told her as he parked his cart by the frozen foods, opened the freezer, and grabbed a couple of pizzas. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you follow me on purpose."

"Please," Davina scoffed. "Someone is a _little_ full of themselves, aren't they?"

"It's not being full of myself if it's the truth," Thomas countered.

"Ugh!" Davina said, looking into his cart. "How can you like pineapple on pizza?"

"Have you ever had pineapple on pizza?" Thomas asked. "Don't knock it if you've never tried it."

"Of course I've never had pineapple on pizza," Davina told him. "It just…it looks gross." She shuddered. "What sort of vampire are you?" She asked. "I thought you were supposed to drink blood."

"I do," Thomas nodded. "And keep your voice down. You can't go around shouting things like that in a supermarket."

"Why?" Davina chuckled and zapped up a garlic bulb with a smirk. "You think someone will come running after you with this?"

"No, not exactly," Thomas told her and snatched the garlic out of her hand, throwing it on the floor. "I was thinking more along the lines of a stake or an axe to chop off my head. I know it doesn't seem like that could happen, but it never hurts to be cautious. It's how I've stayed alive for so long."

"Yeah," Davina scoffed and shook out her brown hair. "That and probably not doing anything interesting or risky in your life ever."

"You don't know," Thomas shook his head. "I spent a lot of my life on river boats going up and down the Mississippi. Sometimes there were gambling brawls that broke out, or smuggling operations, or things like that."

"Well, I _suppose_ that could be seen as interesting," Davina told him reluctantly. "I guess." They began walking together down the aisles while Thomas tried not to say anything because telling her to go away would be useless.

"Hey!" He said when he saw her take some grapes from a bunch and eat them. "You can't just do that. You have to pay first!"

"What are you gonna do?" Davina asked. "Send me to fruit prison?"

"No, that's stupid," Thomas shook his head. "But you really shouldn't make a habit of just taking things."

"Fine," Davina sighed and zapped up some grapes to make up for the three that she'd eaten. "I made restitution. Are you happy?"

"I'd be happier if you weren't here causing me trouble, but I'll take what I can get," Thomas shot back.

He put up with her until his cart was full, and then said, "All right. I'm going to check out now. I'm _not_ sorry we'll have to part ways."

"Oh, don't be silly," Davina smiled. "I know you want my company for a few more minutes and are too shy to say so, so I'll spare you the trouble of having to ask and just tag along."

Thomas rolled his eyes and made an irritated noise in his throat, but, realizing that he wasn't gonna get rid of her, let her come along without further comment. His eyes were on his groceries, so he didn't see her putting magazines and other little knickknacks from the checkout in her coat pockets and under her coat, as well as zapping some things into his own pockets.

"Hey!" The cashier said as some cough drops and candy fell onto the floor in front of him from nowhere. "Were you planning leaving here without paying for those?"

"I didn't have those," Thomas protested. "I don't know where they came from!"

"Sure," the cashier said as he came around and grabbed Thomas with one hand and Davina with the other. "You two are a couple of really inept criminals, you know that?"

"Not as much as you think," Davina smiled and heedlessly opened the cash register with her magic, taking out several stacks of bills as everyone looked on in shock. "My partner and I are actually pretty good. You're just lucky it's the first job we've pulled in a while. It could have ended much worse."

Thomas struggled a bit as they tried to subdue him for when the police arrived. "I'm innocent!" He cried. "I'm innocent! That witch framed me!"

"Calm down, buddy," the cashier told him. "Struggling only makes it worse."

"No!" Thomas said. "I won't be dragged down for something I didn't do!" He broke free of the man's grip and, overcome with rage, bit him, despite everyone watching, including Davina, who, even though she could have, did nothing to stop him. In fact, when the man tried to get away, she held him down to give Thomas more time to feed.

* * *

Eventually, it ended with Thomas and Davina both being put in a jail cell together while the police figured out what to do with them.

"I really hate you, you know," Thomas told her. "You holding him down didn't help anything."

"Of course it did," Davina smiled and put a hand on his thigh. "It got you more time to feed, didn't it? And you need that. You don't look well-nourished." She then moved her hand from his thigh to under his shirt. "Yep, you're just skin and bones, aren't you?"

Thomas began breathing heavily as her hand moved over his bare chest. Then he realized that he didn't have to put up with that and gave her a push so that she fell off the bench they were both sitting on with a shriek.

"Hey!" The policeman who was on guard told them. "Settle down in there!"

"She was antagonizing me," Thomas said to him. "I was only trying to defend myself."

"Well, don't do it anymore," the man snapped back. "Keep your hands off each other."

"You don't have to tell me," Thomas replied. "I wouldn't touch her for a million dollars. And when is it that I get my phone call? I know my rights!"

Davina heard this and chuckled. "If this is how you act when threatened, how the hell have you survived all these years?"

"I do well enough," Thomas told her. "It's not really your business to criticize."

"I can't believe you just want us to stay here," Davina said. "It's really easy for us to leave." She tried to cast a spell to make them both disappear, but oddly enough, it didn't work.

"That's strange," she said and tried over and over to cast the spell. "Something is wrong! I think my powers have been affected."

"Or you could just be horrible at magic," Thomas opined. "Did you consider that?"

Davina narrowed her eyes. "You think you're so smart," she said. "But you're really not."

Then the officer approached them again. "One of our officers can do tricks like that," he told her. "When we found out what you were, we figured that you'd try and use your powers to escape, so we put a little something on the cell to keep you right where you belong."

"That's not very sporting!" Davina pouted and stomped back to the bench to sit down. "And it's a bit chilly in here. Turn the heat up, would you?"

"No," the officer said immediately without looking up as he went back to his paperwork.

They both got their calls made, but unfortunately people were too busy to come bail them out, so they ended up having to spend the night together in the jail cell.

"Okay, here's what will happen," Davina said. "Since we only have one cot and one blanket, I get the cot and I get the blanket."

"No," Thomas shook his head. "What sort of stupid idea is that?"

"It's called chivalry," Davina replied primly and put the brown blanket around herself. "Since I'm the woman, you have to be uncomfortable. I don't make the rules. I just remember them."

Thomas then came over and stole the blanket from her. "Have you also heard of 'All's fair in love and war'? That means that in this troubled time when it's every man for himself, I can take whatever I want since you're less powerful and I can kick your butt." He then pushed her away and settled on the cot himself, turning away from her to face the wall. "Goodnight."

"Well, I suppose this isn't all bad," she said and gave him a spank. "I have a nice view." She then made another grab for the blanket and they were both engaged in a tug of war until the blanket ripped in two.

"I guess that's as good a solution as any," Thomas told her. "I get half and you get half."

"Yeah," Davina scoffed. "Whatever." She then went in her corner, put the blanket over herself, and tried to fall asleep. There was silence in the cell until Thomas whispered, "I'm not very comfortable either."

"Oh, shut up!" Davina whispered back. "At least you don't have to sleep on the floor!" She then got up and strode over to the cot, studying it. "There's actually enough room for two people on there."

"Not comfortably," Thomas told her and moved so he took up more space on it.

"Doesn't matter," Davina replied and did her best to shove him against the wall. "There's space and I'm taking it."

"Good luck when I'm stronger than you are," Thomas told her.

But she was very determined and soon he was squished against the wall with no blanket while she settled herself in the best she could next to him on the groaning, sagging cot and covered herself up. "Good night," she said.

"You are the most annoying little-" Thomas began before she reached over and put a hand over his mouth.

"There you go," she said and closed her eyes. "Sweet silence at last."


	27. More Than A Little Mistake

The next morning, Thomas woke up to the sound of someone laughing. "No wonder things went quiet with the two of you if this is how you ended up." He looked down to see Davina holding onto him tight with her face up against his.

"Oh, dear god," he said and gave her two quick slaps to wake her up.

"What?" She mumbled, bleary-eyed. "What is it?"

"You're touching me!" He cried, sounding more scandalized than he meant to.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I like having something to hold onto when I sleep."

"It's people like that that are the reason I like sleeping alone!" Thomas told her as he shoved her off the cot and stood up to address the man in front of their cell. "Any news on us getting out of here?" He asked. "Please?"

"I got a call from your people saying they'll be willing to come and collect you," the man told a very relieved Thomas. "It shouldn't be too long for you to wait."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Thomas replied, actually getting down on his knees in thanks. "That's wonderful!"

"Hey, what about me?" Davina demanded, stomping over to stand next to Thomas. "Has anyone called about me yet?"

"Not that I know of, so you'll just have to sit tight and be patient," He replied.

"Damn, _seriously?_ " Davina swore and stomped loudly around the cell as Thomas giggled behind her back. "What's wrong with people? They take you in and promise to bond with you, but when you do something that lands you in jail, they suddenly don't care anymore."

"Maybe they thought jail would improve you," Thomas grinned.

"Oh, shut up!" She huffed and threw the pillow at him. "No one asked you." Then she lay back down on the cot and faced away from him, blessedly silent.

* * *

"We're so sorry you had to spend the night in jail," Amelia told him when they finally came to pick him up. Davina was up from the cot by then and scowling as he was taken away "But just what did you do to get yourself arrested anyway?"

"I was fighting back against being victimized just like you told me I should do," Thomas said. "That witch who just will not leave me alone made it seem like I was stealing things at the grocery store! They didn't even give me a chance to explain what happened!"

"Well, good for you," Amelia told him. "We were at Selina's house with your new niece and nephew and just couldn't get away." She paused. "Well, maybe that's a terrible excuse. We promised Selina we wouldn't have our phones on so that the twins could sleep."

Thomas sighed. "I suppose spending the night in jail is an important experience for everyone."

"Who was that girl in the cell with you?" Andrew asked. "She was pretty, even with a scowl like she was wearing."

"No, she's not!" Thomas shook his head and balled his fists. "She's an annoying little-"

"All right, all right," Andrew said apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring it up. What would you say to something to eat?"

"Oh, yes, please," Thomas nodded. "And could we maybe go someplace to get a drink? I could use it after last night."

"Why don't we take you to Roxie's?" Amelia suggested. "It's close."

"Would I be allowed in there? I thought you said it was a werewolf only place?" Andrew said.

"Yes, but they let you in if you know someone they know goes there and can vouch for you even if you're not a werewolf," Amelia explained. "You'll get in. I promise."

So they went, and as Amelia promised, they were all waved right through.

"Hi, Grandma Amelia!" A voice rang out as they approached the bar. The woman who spoke was tiny with curly chocolate brown hair and big blue eyes. "How are you?"

"Good, Roxanne," Amelia told her. Then she patted Thomas on the back. "This is your Uncle Thomas. Andrew and I just bailed him out of jail."

"Oh, how exciting!" Roxie's eyes sparkled as she urged him to sit down and balanced her chin on her hand. "Tell me, what did you do to deserve that?"

"A woman made me look like a thief, and then as the human police were trying to restrain me, I fought them so I ended up in jail. But she did too, because they thought we were cohorts." He sat down. "That made things more just, I suppose. If not more tolerable. What a terrible night."

"You had to spend the night in jail?" Roxie turned to Amelia. "Why? Were you full of shame and trying to teach him a lesson?"

"Oh, no!" Amelia shook her head. "We completely support him in things like this if it happened because he was being victimized and he fought back. The only reason why we didn't pick him up sooner was because we were visiting your mother and with new babies at home, she requested that we keep our phones off. There was no way we could have known about it until the morning."

"Ah," Roxie nodded. "All right. I can't believe Mom and Uncle Elijah had more kids. When are they going to stop? When Sam told me about it before his set the other night, I was surprised, even though I shouldn't be by now."

"Well, it's what makes your mother happy," Amelia said. "And it's not like they have any other kids at home."

"Yeah," Roxie nodded. "I guess." Then she looked at Thomas. "So," she said. "What can I get you in celebration of this momentous occasion?"

"Something big enough and potent enough that I forget it ever happened, please," Thomas smiled as Andrew patted him on the back. "Can you do that?"

"Sure," Roxie smiled. "Coming right up."

"And can we get some cheese fries too?" Amelia requested. "Please?"

"Sure," Roxie said. "And Vince just turned the grill on if you want burgers."

"All right," Amelia nodded. "Bring some of those too."

"Good," Roxie smiled and repeated, "Coming right up."

* * *

After his jail debacle, Thomas tried to stay inside as a way to calm himself after his latest encounter with Davina, and even locked himself away at Charlotte's, but it just didn't help him forget about his dark-haired magical rival. Even drinking didn't, although Roxie's soon became a favorite place of his. However, one day, as he came out of the bathroom, he gasped to find a crowd of werewolves standing in the center of the barroom, with a young woman pinned down on the floor as the bouncers beat up on her and she screamed.

"What's going on?" He asked Roxie. He'd heard shouting and crashing from behind the closed door but he'd had no idea that what was going on was this bad.

"She came in," Roxie said. "We have no idea who she is and this is how we deal with intruders."

"Well, that's a bit harsh, isn't it?" Thomas asked. He urged the men away and got a good look at the girl they were beating up. "What the hell?" He asked as he held onto her. There was blood on the floor, on her clothes, on the other werewolves. "Why are you here, Davina?"

"I-my car broke down," she got out in a weak voice. "I thought I could get help here." She then shut her eyes and lay against him, her breathing labored.

He was just about to pick her up and take her into the bathroom when Samantha's voice rang out. "My god, Davina, what's taking so long? If they would let me, I would come in and see myself."

"Oh, please do," Stefan encouraged as he emerged from the pool room at the side of the bar, chuckling when he saw how mad she was. Stefan strode over to the door, asked the men guarding it to step aside and blocked it himself, grinning at Samantha. "You wanna come in?" He asked. "See how badly they've messed up your friend?"

"Yeah!" Samantha shouted. "As a matter of fact, I do." So Stefan let her in and when she saw Davina's body, she gasped. "What the fuck?" She whispered. "Who the fuck _are_ you people?"

"We're werewolves," Roxie told her. "And this is our space. You'd better leave. Unless Stefan wants to speak for you. Then you can stay."

"Oh, no," Stefan said. "I hate her. Kill her, please." He shoved Samantha toward the group, but that was when Thomas picked up Davina headed out for the bathroom, ordering everyone to just relax and go about their business.

"Where do you think they're going?" Samantha asked Stefan, tilting her head in the direction that her friend had been taken.

"Who cares?" Stefan replied. "Your location, _far_ away from here, is what matters most now." He paused. "Hell, I'll even drive you home myself if you want." He paused. "Actually, I _wouldn't_ drive you home. I'd find some lonely, isolated stretch of road, stop there, and just throw you out." He chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I'd do."

"Well, that doesn't give me a lot of incentive to agree to go with you, now does it?" Samantha asked, eyes narrowed.

"You really don't have a choice if you want to leave here alive," Stefan told her.

Then she let out a shriek as he picked her up and carried her to her car. "Fuck you!" She cried. "I want you to put me down right this minute!" She couldn't reach his face, so in the hope of shocking him enough that he would drop her, she spanked his denim-clad butt hard instead. But much to her dismay, it didn't make him drop her. It just made him chuckle.

"If you wanna have a little fun, all you have to do is say so," he said. "Tell me, does your car have a big backseat?"

"What does it matter?" Samantha asked after growling in frustration, her dark hair hanging in her eyes and making it impossible to see. "It's not like you'll see it anyway. Just put me down and let me find my car again by myself."

"No," Stefan said. "Tell me where your car is. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you out here in the parking lot."

"Oh, I think if I stay with you something _worse_ will happen to me," Samantha countered. But when it became clear that he wouldn't let her go until she told him where the car was, she reluctantly pointed him in the direction of a white land rover.

"Well, my goodness, it _does_ have a big back seat, doesn't it?" Stefan observed.

"You know what, fine," Samantha said. "I'm alone. I presume you're alone because no sane woman would tolerate you. But you're attractive I guess, so we might as well get things over with and fuck."

Stefan was a bit surprised by her bluntness, but he kept his shock in check, smirking at her and crossing his arms. "And just what makes you think I would want to?"

"Oh, stop," Samantha replied with a frown. "You're dropping enough hints. Don't lie." She paused. "Unless you would have liked it more if _you'd_ have been the one to make the first move. Is your huge ego only satisfied by things like that? If it is, go ahead and ask me yourself."

Stefan opened the door of the car, picked Samantha up, and tossed her in the back before taking off his shirt and flexing his arm muscles. "What do you think?" He asked. "Don't worry. I won't trouble you for too much of your time."

"Fine," Samantha sighed, trying to keep her breath from picking up too much. She let him crawl in through the trunk and shut it behind him and then they began kissing quickly while he unzipped his jeans and Stefan pushed up her skirt and pulled off her panties, pulling her close to him and trying not to gag at the overly strong scent of her perfume as she threw her arms around his neck and he pushed into her. But he was finished long before she was, heading out of the car and zipping his pants as he headed toward the bar again and she ran after him.

"Fine, leave!" She cried. "But don't worry. I enjoyed the thirty seconds of fun you gave me! I promise I won't forget it."

He was a distance away when she made that remark, but she could still see him give her the finger before he made his way back into the bar again and, with a sigh, she headed back to the car to wait for Davina. She would have gone in to check on her, but she just didn't want to deal with Stefan anymore.

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas and Davina were having a much easier time of it. Thomas had decided to take Davina to the ladies' room because there was a long red couch in there and that meant he could help her rest comfortably while he fixed her up. When she was lying on her back on the sofa, he bit his wrist and let the blood run into her mouth while he quietly begged her to swallow. "I know it's disgusting," he conceded. "But if you don't want to die, you have to drink it."

Finally she swallowed, and when she was strong enough to sit up, he just held her while she sat with her legs across his lap and her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she got out. "You could have let me die, but you didn't."

"Of course not," Thomas told her. "What was done to you wasn't right. You shouldn't have to die because you made an honest mistake." He then urged her to her feet. "Your friend is probably wondering what's happened to you. Maybe we should get you outside so she can see you aren't dead."

"Fine," Davina replied. "But I want to do something first."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "What is it?"

Then, to his surprise, she kissed him. It wasn't like the first time they'd kissed where he'd felt nothing but annoyance. This time, he felt warm and tenderness, and admitted to himself that he liked it enough that he wanted to keep doing it. His hands began to roam slowly over her body, and as they rounded the curve of her bottom, he picked her up and went to brace her against the wall between the sinks as she wrapped her black-legging-covered legs around his waist. They'd began kissing, but then he broke the kiss and moved on to kiss her neck, and even gave her a tiny nip and slowly licked the blood up. Then he almost lost it when she nibbled on his earlobe and whispered, "My god, you're so handsome! I've only been so mean to you because I can't deal with it."

"Is that true?" Thomas whispered back. "I'm not telling you you're pretty unless it's true."

"Oh, yes," Davina nodded. "I wouldn't lie. Not about that."

Then Thomas made the mistake of opening his eyes, and he saw not Davina before him, but Charlotte. "No," he said and dropped Davina on the floor. "No, what have I done?!" He ran out of the bathroom and Davina quickly followed. "What's the matter?" She asked. "Why did you stop? You were doing so well!"

"Why is it that you always make me do bad things?" He cried. "Why? Wasn't making me be in jail enough? You won't be happy until you've destroyed me completely!" He then threw some money at the bar and ran out the door. A few seconds later, they heard his car drive away, and then, with a shrug because she didn't know what else to do, Davina at last went out to meet Samantha.


	28. Just Looking For Trouble

"I'd like to thank you for telling your mother about me and Davina," Thomas spat at Stefan from the open door of Charlotte's room as Stefan watched him from the other side of the door. He'd just found out from a talk with Charlotte that she sensed he had his mind on someone else. "You could have kept your mouth shut. I would have been honest about it."

" _Would_ you?" Stefan asked as he stood and watched Thomas emerge into the hallway. "Or would you have just kept it quiet forever? My mother came back for you, you know. Not to be abandoned while you run around with a girl in tight pants."

"Your mother is all right with me seeing someone else," Thomas told him. "She says she's glad to know that I'm gonna have someone to look after me once she's gone."

Stefan chuckled at this. "I don't see that girl of yours as a caretaker type at all. Not when she gets you in trouble every time the two of you meet."

"Well, I just…I have to work harder at stopping that," Thomas said resolutely. "And once I do…once I have control, everything between Davina and me will be all right."

"Yeah," Stefan snorted derisively, thinking that as long as Davina hung out with Samantha, the chances of her being tamed were slim to none, even with Thomas' whole 'knight in shining armor' air. "Good luck with that when she hangs around people like Samantha."

"Well, with you occupying all of Samantha's time, I think I have a very good chance of getting Davina to a good place emotionally so that we can have a relationship," Thomas told him. "It might take time, but I think it'll happen." He scowled. "I just have to get through her being the big pain that she is now." He paused. "Your mother is resting now and I'm going to be away for a few hours. But I'll be back later."

"What will you be doing?" Stefan asked. "Or whom?"

"I won't be doing anyone!" Thomas frowned at him. "I'm going to see my sister's new kids. That's not a crime, is it?"

"Well, no, but I bet you you'll find some way to work in a visit with your new best friend," Stefan said.

"No, not me!" Thomas defended himself. "I never go looking for her. She always finds _me_. But I hope against hope that this time, just for a little bit, she'll give me a break."

* * *

"Do you _really_ think I do nothing but get you into trouble and make you do bad things?" Davina asked, ambushing Thomas outside of Elijah and Selina's house and pulling him into some bushes. He'd expected to see her and here she was.

"Well, considering that in the time that we've met, you've gotten me thrown in jail and made me cheat on my girlfriend, yes!" Thomas nodded. "Yes, I do!"

"You can blame me for the jail thing," Davina told him. "That's fair. But _you_ chose to kiss me back when I kissed you. That's on your own head."

"Oh, just don't!" He said, and to his own surprise, he slapped her.

"I don't believe you, hitting a girl like that!" Davina cried and punched him back.

"Keep it down!" Thomas told her quickly. "Someone will hear you!"

But it was too late. Andrew poked his head out the front door and chuckled. "Well, here's the source of the noise," he said. "You wanna bring your friend inside, Thomas? It's more comfortable there than in the bushes."

"I would, but unfortunately she can't stay," Thomas replied, quickly standing up. "And she's not my friend."

"All right," Andrew nodded. "Of course, whatever you say. Bring her in away."

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" Thomas asked dryly.

"No, I'm really not," Andrew shook his head.

"Oh, all right," he capitulated. "Come on." Then Davina let out a screech as he picked her up, put her over his shoulder, and brought her into the house.

"What was the noise, Andrew?" Amelia asked, coming to meet them.

"It was Thomas," he told her. "And it seems he's brought a friend."

"She's not a friend," Thomas told Amelia. "She's a big annoyance who stalks me. But I wasn't allowed to leave her outside, so…here she is." He turned around so that Davina was facing Amelia and said, "Davina, this is my mother, Amelia. And my father Andrew."

"Well, hello," Amelia told her and reached out to take the hand Davina offered her. "How nice to meet you."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Davina drawled with a smile. Then she said to Thomas, "Would you mind putting me down now?"

"Fine," Thomas said and dumped her on the sofa. "I guess." Then he said to Amelia, "I came to see the babies. Are they awake?"

"I think they just woke up from a nap, so you came at the right time," Amelia told him.

She was right too. A few seconds later, Selina came in with Drew in her arms and Elijah followed behind with Stephanie. They were so focused on their children that Selina didn't notice Thomas before she asked Amelia, "Could you ask Thomas if he wants to come and see the twins some time? I would like for him to meet them."

"That's exactly what he came over for," Amelia told her and gestured at him. "See?"

"Hello," Thomas said and waved.

"Oh, sorry," Selina chuckled and apologized to her brother. "I didn't see you standing there."

"It's okay," Thomas replied and pushed Davina over a bit before sitting down on the couch. "You were otherwise occupied. I don't blame you."

"Hi," Davina told her. "Since he won't introduce me, I'll introduce myself. I'm Davina."

"Selina," Selina replied, handing Drew to Thomas and then taking Davina's hand. "Nice to meet you. How long have you known my brother?"

"Not long," Davina shook her head. "We just bump into each other from time to time."

"Well, it must mean something if he brought you to visit his family," Selina said. "I wish the two of you luck."

"No!" Thomas shook his head. "Don't say that. I only brought her because I had to. Andrew wouldn't let me leave her out in the bushes."

"There's probably a story there, but I won't push it," Selina told him. He thought he was pretty calm, but thinking about Davina obviously made him more agitated than he realized because baby Drew began to cry, so he quickly gave him back to his mother and took Stephanie from Elijah instead. This time he talked to her in a low, soothing voice and rocked her a bit, meaning she had a greater fondness for him than her brother did.

Eventually, their good moods wore out and Selina opted to put them back in their rooms and feed them while everyone else talked and Thomas moved as far away from Davina as possible. Just because she was there didn't mean he had to be friends with her.

* * *

"Are you decent?" Elijah asked as Selina finished breastfeeding baby Stephanie a few hours later and put her back in her crib.

"Just a minute," she called back and quickly buttoned her shirt. Then she told Elijah he could come in. "You'll have to open the door for me," he told her. "My hands are full."

"Oh, you decided to bring Drew to visit his sister after you fed him?" Selina asked and ran to the door. "Okay." She opened the door and let Elijah in, and he strode over to set Drew into the crib by his sister, who was very close to falling asleep.

"Thank you for giving me more children," he told Selina as he smiled down at his new son and daughter and stroked their blanket-wrapped bodies. "I just…I have a good feeling about these two."

"Me too," Selina said and hugged him. "But remember, you can't just forget about them if they don't turn out the way you like."

"I won't do that again," Elijah said, picking up Stephanie and holding her close. "I won't. I promise."

"I know you won't," Selina replied and patted Stephanie's head. "I really do think you've learned your lesson there."

They sat down on the spare bed in Stephanie's room and put their arms around each other.

"You know, I confuse myself sometimes," Selina confessed quietly. "I'm usually so much about independence and running my own life and really being careful about what traditional female things I do, but you put a baby in front of me and I just melt into a puddle."

"And why is that confusing?" Elijah asked. "It's clear that you love children. There's nothing weird about it. Didn't you get turned into a vampire before you could raise your first child?"

"Yep," Selina nodded and sighed. "That happened."

"And maybe that's why you're so attached to children," Elijah suggested. "Losing the chance to raise the first one was hard on you, so for all subsequent children, you've really thrown yourself into it."

"Well," Selina nodded thoughtfully. "Would you believe that I've never looked at it that way before?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I would. But I'm glad to help." He then watched her lay down on the bed and yawn. He tucked her in and kissed her cheek. "You sleep," he said. "When the twins wake up, I'll take care of them."

"All right," Selina nodded. "When it's time to feed them, milk's in the fridge."

"Good," Elijah nodded and went back to looking at his sleeping twins again. "I'll be sure to remember that."

* * *

"What the hell?" Stefan cried when Samantha appeared at Vince's repair shop where he'd taken a job and gave him a sound slap across the face.

"That's what you get for the other day!" She said. "Serves you right for treating me the way you did. Using me and abandoning me like that!"

"You're the one who left," Stefan countered. "I would have given you more time if you'd have let me."

"I wouldn't want to stop you from spending the evening with your favorite bed partner, your hand!" Samantha shouted. "And better you get slapped by me than my brother! He really hates you now."

Stefan scoffed. "You're all talk," he told her with a smirk. "You make threats and then run and hide behind your brother who's much stronger than you are. I bet you couldn't fight if your life depended on it."

"I could," Samantha replied. "I've never really had the chance, but I could. And for you, I'd be willing to try."

"Really?" Stefan asked, sliding out from under the car, standing up, and then shouting to one of the men that he was going on his break. "I can't wait to see this."

Samantha began pushing him out the door of the garage.

"Hey!" He said, turning around and picking her up when they were a distance away. "Stop pushing me."

"Yeah?" Samantha smiled. "And what if I don't? What will you do to me?" She continued to poke at him and finally, he just grabbed her and kissed her.

"What did you do that for?" She asked, looking shocked after he pulled away.

"I figured it would be the best way to get your hands off me," Stefan replied. "Or at least to get you to touch me in a better way." He smirked.

"Oh, please," Samantha shook her head. "That takes time and last time, you lasted all of five minutes. If that's all you can do, at least be honest about it."

"That isn't all I can do." Stefan replied. "I can do a lot more if I had the time."

"Well, now you don't because you have to work," Samantha smiled. "Remember?"

"All right," Stefan said, picking her up again and taking her to her car. "We'll make out for a bit and then tonight, I'll show you what I can really do."

"Oh, don't try so hard on my account," Samantha replied.

But what had initially been proposed as a brief make-out session quickly developed into more as they settled into the wide truck of her land rover.

Samantha felt her body go hot as he pulled off her clothes, laid her down, and kissed her while running his hands all over her body.

"Oh," she gasped. "Oh, god! I hate it! I hate your hands all over my body!" She slapped him, then grabbed his face and pulled it down to kiss him. Then she felt him part her legs and heard him unzip his pants before burying himself inside her.

"Oh, fuck it!" She cried as her hips bucked forward. "Fuck me, fuck it all!"

What they didn't realize was that their actions were causing the car to rock back and forth in a very pronounced way, which caused someone to come running out and tap on the window. The windows were tinted, so no one saw anything (much to Samantha's relief), but when she heard the voice say "Everything okay in here?" She was more than happy to see Stefan pull out and zip up, then scramble around for his shirt.

"Fine," he said. "Coming. I'll be there in a minute!" He then smiled down at Samantha. "We should do this again sometime."

"Fine," Samantha replied dryly as she dressed herself. "When I have a few minutes free, I'll let you know."

"You do that," Stefan nodded.

"Oh, and before you run off and leave me alone like you do, could you have a look at my tire and tell me if it's flat?"

"Sure," Stefan nodded. He got out of the car and bent down to look and that's when Samantha kicked him in the butt and he hit his head on the wheel.

"Damn, that was satisfying!" She crowed. "Even more than what we just did in the car!"

"You do have a flat," he told her when he got to his feet. "And even though you just kicked me, I'll fix it for you cause I'm a nice person."

"Yeah, sure," she said as he went and got a spare tire to put on. When it was done, he said, "We're having a sale. I can get you a couple more if you want, but don't expect to get them for free because of what we just did."

"Oh, I wouldn't _dream_ of it," Samantha told him. "I mentioned the flat to my guardian and she said I could use her credit card to pay for it. So just tell me what it costs and you'll get your money."

"All right," Stefan nodded as she dug the card out of her back pocket. "The replacement and a spare will be $132."

"Sounds good," she said and handed him Victoria's card. "Put it on this."

Stefan nodded. "All right," he said. "Wait here. I'll be back in a moment."

Samantha then watched him go and had to admit to herself that he filled out his jeans very nicely. After it was clear the transaction was successful, they put the other tire in the back and then she got in her car and drove home where Ian was waiting and would undoubtedly grill her about what had gone on between her and Stefan, just as he always did. She sighed to herself as she thought about this. That had to change, she told herself. She really needed to convince him to find a boyfriend. Or at least another way to occupy his time.


	29. The Runaways

"Do me a favor," Selina said to Elijah as she brought both twins into the living room for a change of scenery.

"Of course," Elijah nodded, playing with her hair as she sat down and then taking Stephanie in his arms. "Anything."

"Let's wait a while before we tell your father and Gwen that the babies are born," Selina requested. "I want them to be old enough to at least be able to crawl away before they're exposed to your father. Now they're just too vulnerable."

Elijah nodded. "I can see your point, but you know we won't be able to stall forever."

"Yes we will, if I have something to say about it," Selina replied resolutely. "We're gonna stall as long as we like!"

Elijah sighed as she marched away resolutely, still holding on to Drew as tightly as she could without making him cry. Although he had to admit that she had a point, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to hold his father off.

"What if I just take the twins to see Gwen and Father and you don't have to come?" He suggested at last. "Do you honestly think Gwen will let them be hurt? Between the two of us, they should be just fine."

"All right," Selina nodded. "I suppose I can agree with that," Selina replied. "Just be careful, please?"

Elijah kissed her and nodded. "I will, I promise. What is it that you intend to do while the twins are visiting my father?"

"Would you mind terribly if I went to go see Charlotte?" Selina asked him. "I haven't in a long time and I don't want to miss a chance to say goodbye if she takes a turn for the worse. Or at least I want to call Damon and ask how she's doing."

"Well, go ahead," Elijah told her. "It would be heartless of me to deny you the chance to do what you need to do under those circumstances."

"Thank you," Selina smiled and kissed him. "I appreciate it. Do you want to go to your father's _now_ or later?"

"I want to at least make the plans and if we can get it over with now, so much the better," Elijah told her.

"Since there are two babies, would you like me to come with you in the car, or do you think you can handle both of them at once?" Selina questioned.

"I can handle both," Elijah assured her and reached out his free arm for Drew. "It'll be okay. I swear."

"I'm not worried, " Selina promised. "At least not about you, anyway. I'll make sure you have a nice stiff drink when you get home for sparing me from such torture."

"Thank you," Elijah smiled. "You're too sweet."

* * *

"So you two _did_ have your babies!" Gwen cried when she opened the door and saw Elijah with the carriers and diaper bags on the other side. "After all the time of hearing nothing, I began to wonder. Come in, come in!"

Elijah obliged and brought Drew and Stephanie inside, sitting down on one of the living room sofas. "Is Father here?" He asked. "Or is it just you? I brought the children because I thought he'd want proof of their existence or something like that."

"Well, he's sulking in his private space right now," Gwen replied. "But I'm sure that once I tell him what's going on, he'll be more than happy to come out and join us."

And she was right about that. A few minutes after she left, she came back with Mikael, who looked very eager.

"Where are they?" He asked. "Can I see them? Have you finally done the smart thing and decided to take sole custody of the children? Is that why _she_ isn't here?"

"Here they are," Elijah said patiently, gesturing to the two baby carriers on the sofa next to him. "The girl is named Stephanie and the boy is named Andrew."

"So small now, aren't they?" Mikael remarked as he peered down at them. "It's a shame it takes them so long to grow up and make something of themselves."

"I have to disagree," Elijah countered, taking them in his arms in turn and cuddling them while his father rolled his eyes. "I like them at this age, where they can just _be_ , you know? No fighting, no worrying about whether or not something will go wrong. Just peace."

"Yes, peace," Mikael sneered. "I wish I knew what that was like when we were human."

"Well, we lived in a hard time," Elijah replied. "I think we could have _all_ used a little peace. And why do you roll your eyes whenever I show affection to my children? Did you ever feel anything like that for any of us?"

"Of course he did!" Gwen jumped in.

"I would have said that!" Mikael snapped at her. "You don't need to speak for me, Gwendolyn."

"Tell me the story," Gwen urged. "Tell me of a time when you actually felt tenderness toward your children. That's something I'd really love to hear."

"Oh, all right," Mikael sighed. "If you're not going to let this go, I might as well, but don't expect to hear stories like these too often."

" _The snow is going to be coming down soon," Mikael said as he returned to his family's dwelling and shut the door behind him to ward off the chill. His elder two children, Freya and Alexander, were tending to the fire while his wife Elissavetta sat on chair nearby, covered in blankets to ward off the cold because she was in a delicate condition and about to give birth to the fifth member of the family._

" _Well thank goodness you got back in time," his wife told him. "You know how often people die from getting lost in storms, how many a wife has lost a husband that way."_

" _You won't lose me, my love," he told her and came to kiss her tenderly. He then motioned for the children to abandon the fire and come sit to talk with him. "Have you been taking care of your mother today while I've been out and about?"_

" _Yes, we have," Freya replied, pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes and lay her head on her father's chest. "How long until the baby comes?"_

" _Soon, I hope," Elissavetta told her. "I'd like to be able to move around. I feel utterly useless."_

" _You shouldn't," Mikael said. "You're doing something very important for our family. I don't want you to forget that."_

" _Look, Papa!" Freya cried as she ran to the window. "Snow!" She and Alexander both ran to look and as they did that, Elissavetta let out a cry._

" _Mikael, I think the child is coming!" She said. "Send the children away to be with the neighbors, like we planned."_

" _No, Mama!" Alexander cried, running over to clutch Elissavetta's hand because he was old enough to be aware that having this baby could mean that he might never see his mother again afterward. He turned to his father, desperation in his eyes. "May I stay, please?"_

" _And me too?" Freya added. If Alexander wasn't going, Freya wouldn't either. They were twins and did all they could together. They'd come with Mikael when he and Elissavetta had married. Their mother, Mikael's first wife, had died in childbirth, along with the infant she bore, and part of the reason for his second marriage was to find his two children a mother._

" _All right, you can stay," Mikael told them at last. "Do your best to keep your mother calm and don't do anything that could upset her. I'm going to get the midwife. I'll be back soon."_

 _But just as he was about to leave, there was a knock on the door. Mikael opened it and Ingrid, the local midwife, strode in. "How long has this been going on?" She asked as Elissavetta was helped to bed._

" _It hasn't been very long," Mikael informed her. "Her labors only just began."_

" _Well, you know from experience that this could take time," Ingrid told him. "Find some way to distract your children and if fortune has smiled upon you and both mother and child make it through the birth, I'll make you aware of it."_

 _Despite the twins' prostrations, Mikael ushered them from the house and took them to a neighbor's, where they stayed for several hours with no news and Mikael getting more and more tense every minute, his memory of his wife's death fresh in his mind. Finally as the sun came up the next morning and the snow stopped, Ingrid knocked on the neighbor's door and asked for Mikael._

" _What happened?" He asked. "Does she live? Do she and the child still live?"_

" _Oh, yes," Ingrid nodded with a smile. "You've married a very strong woman. And she's given you a son. You can come and see them now."_

 _So Mikael brought Freya and Alexander back to the house and found Elissavetta sitting up in bed, looking very tired, but very alive, and holding a squirming bundle close to her heart. He looked at her and the baby in the dim early morning light and got down on his knees to offer thanks. Then, he said, "What should we call him?"_

 _Elissavetta smiled. "I think…I think Elijah suits him," she replied. "Don't you?"_

 _Mikael smiled and took his son from her. "Yes," he said firmly. "Elijah. My new son."_

"That is so sweet!" Gwen cried when Mikael finished the story of Elijah's birth, a deep red blush coloring his cheeks.

"I—I had no idea you still remembered that," Elijah got out.

"It's not something you forget," Mikael replied. "I'm very pleased you seem to have added two more strong children to our family, and when you get home, you tell…tell _her_ thank you for what she's done."

"I will," Elijah nodded. "After the sadness of visiting her former mother in law who's ill, Selina could probably use a pleasant surprise like that. I'll definitely make sure she knows."

* * *

"You've been a bit preoccupied lately," Ian observed to Samantha. "Anything you'd like to discuss with me?"

"No, thank you," Samantha shook her head. "Nothing you need to know about."

"Because you know you can tell me anything," Ian pressed, his dark eyes locked on his sister's face.

"I know," Samantha replied, stepping away from him a little. "But some things should be kept private."

"Is it a boy?" Ian demanded. "Tell me! Is it?"

"I kept your boyfriends a secret from Mom and Dad and now I'm gonna keep my guy issues a secret from you. It's nothing you need to worry about, though. I have it under control."

Ian's knuckles cracked. "Is it that guy whose car we crashed into? Is he bothering you?"

"If he is, I want to be the one to take care of it, all right?" Samantha told him firmly. "Find some other way to occupy your time. I know you can do it." She then left the house because she knew that if she stayed here any longer, she would explode. The recent news that the man who'd taken her in was her and Ian's biological father and had doomed them to a life of human parents and institutions instead of just caring for them himself had been almost too much for her to take and the only way she knew of to deal with it was just to avoid it. She didn't feel like she could take out her anger on Malachai. Not yet. But there was someone who was perfect to fill that need for her. Someone she could find very easily.

It took her much longer than usual to find Stefan, even with the spells she was using to track him. She appeared in the backseat of his car as he drove down the road with a suddenness that nearly caused him to lose control of his car and crash into a tree.

"You enjoy making me have car accidents, don't you?" He asked dryly as he glowered at her in the rearview mirror.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Just…making a visit home," Stefan replied. "My brother and I both are."

"Can I come with you?" Samantha asked. "I need an excuse to get away."

"Why?" Stefan asked wryly, one side of his mouth going up. "Terrorize someone a little too much and now you're running for cover?"

"Yeah," Samantha replied quickly, not feeling like she wanted to tell the true reason.

"Fine, whatever," Stefan sighed. "It's not like I can make you go away."

* * *

It took a few hours of bickering and arguing over who got control of the radio, but they finally reached Mystic Falls and the boarding house. Stefan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was the first one there and he brought Samantha inside, saying, "There are several room here. You'll know which ones are my brother's and mine because the doors are already open, but you can take any of the others."

"You brought me all the way out here so that I could sleep alone?" Samantha asked. "Well, that's lame." She paused then, a realization hitting her. "What's your name? I realize that in all the time we've spent together, I've never asked. I'm Samantha."

"Stefan," Stefan told her.

"Well, that's not a name you hear every day," Samantha told him and then went upstairs to find herself a room. She looked over them all and scoffed when she'd looked in the open rooms and surmised that Stefan and his brother had taken the nicest rooms for themselves. That wasn't right. She hid her suitcase under the bed in Stefan's room and went back to tell him that she'd chosen a bed.

"Good," Stefan nodded. "Not mine or my brother's, I hope."

"No," Samantha shook her head. "Even though, based on past experience, I think you know that's exactly where I'm gonna end up."

* * *

And she was proven correct. Not long after she'd tucked herself into her own bed, Stefan sneaked in, picked her up out of bed, slung her over his shoulder, and took her into _his_ bed. She was half awake initially, but she'd come entirely to her senses when they were both naked, sweating, clutching each other, and making an awful racket.

That drew Damon's attention. He came to open Stefan's bedroom door and said, "I know this outing was about us forgetting your problems with Felicity and the fact that Lucy is starting to pull away from me, as well as the fact that Mother's on her death bed and could die at any time, but that's no reason to make so much noise at night. Do you mind?" He turned on the light, saw both Stefan and Samantha in bed together. Stefan was cursing as he rushed to cover himself and Samantha up.

"Could you knock first?" He cried.

"No," Damon smiled as he came to sit down on the bed. He held out a hand to Samantha. "I'm Damon Salvatore, Stefan's brother. And just who might you be?"

* * *

"How in the world do you always know where I am?" Thomas asked Davina the next time they met up. "Do you have me tagged or something?"

"Maybe," Davina replied. "Would it bother you if I said I did?"

"Yes, it would bother me!" Thomas nodded. "Crazy people do stuff like that."

"Well, I _have_ spent a lot of my life in an asylum for the mentally deranged because my parents were humans who didn't know how to handle my powers, so you're not just making stuff up," Davina smiled.

"I'm sorry," Thomas said, feeling too ashamed to laugh. "I had no idea."

"Oh, it's all right," Davina told him. "I made it through better than most of the others."

"Did they treat you badly?" Thomas asked.

"Well, it wasn't like every day was a party," Davina replied dryly. "It was a freaking mental asylum. What do you think? I know it's hard for someone who's got the perfect family to understand, but-"

"I was an orphan for most of my existence," Thomas interrupted. "I just found my parents."

"Oh," Davina flushed. "Sorry," she said. Then, to Thomas' surprise, she strode away without another word, as if, even though she were walking away, she hoped he would change his mind and catch up to her.

He knew this, of course, but ignored it. Even when she began to sob softly, he ignored it and kept his eyes on the book he was reading. But then when she ran back to sit next to him, he couldn't ignore her any longer. He groaned, cursed his kind soul, and put his arms around her.

"What's the matter?" He asked. "I've never seen you cry like this before."

"I just…I just found out the other day that the man who took me in is my biological father, the man whose sperm my mother used to conceive me!" She cried. "He's the reason why I have magic and because he didn't raise me himself, that's why I spent all that time in the asylum when it didn't have to happen!"

Thomas let her cry on his shoulder for a bit and then put a hand under her chin to bring her face up off his shoulder. He wiped her eyes and kissed her. She resisted at first, but soon gave in and they were running their hands over each other's bodies and tugging up each other's shirts to feel the warm skin underneath.

"Where's your car?" Davina asked finally. "We need to go to your car."

"Yes," Thomas panted. "I really think we do." He picked her up then and sped over to his car, pulling the locked back door off cause he didn't have the patience to find the key. They got in and put the door back on, then continued kissing. They were both in their underwear and about to remove those when Thomas got a phone call.

"Hello?" He said. "Who is it?"

"Sam," the voice replied. "You know, Charlotte's grandson? She's near the end now, and if you want to say goodbye, you better come quick."

"All right," Thomas said after a bit of silence once he'd pushed Davina off him. "Just tell her to hang on a little while longer. I'll be there as soon as I can."


	30. Rest In Peace

"Is your brother always like that?" Samantha asked Stefan after they'd ejected Damon from the room. "Poking his nose in where it doesn't belong?"

"Oh, yes, he's always been that way," Stefan nodded. "There was a time when we weren't speaking and I kind of miss it."

Suddenly his phone rang. He groaned and rolled his eyes, but answered it anyway. "Yes? Who is this?"

"It's Sam," Sam told him. His nephew seemed very agitated. "You and Dad need to get down here quick. I know Grandma rallied the other day, but she took a turn for the worse all of a sudden."

"Shit," Stefan whispered and then said, "All right, Sam. I'll convince your dad to come with me. We'll be there soon. Tell Mother that."

"All right," Sam said. He sounded very relieved. "I think she'll be glad to hear it."

It took a while, but eventually, Stefan managed to coax Damon into taking a shower and getting in some clothes to go say goodbye to their mother.

"Where are you two going?" Samantha asked as they made their way toward the door.

"Our mother is dying and we need to go say our farewells," Stefan told her. "But don't worry. We'll be back after."

"Well, all right," Samantha nodded. "I'll be here. And if you stop off for a drink after, let me know so I won't be waiting around doing nothing forever."

* * *

They drove back to Amelia and Andrew's at lightning speed, and when they made their way to their mother's room they found Amelia, Andrew, Selina, and Thomas already there along with Sam.

"I don't know if I can handle this," Damon said after looking at his mother's ashen face. "I just…I think I'll go wait in the car."

"No," Stefan grabbed his brother. "You have to make it through! How do you think Mother would feel if she left this earth without saying goodbye to you, Damon?"

"Damon?" Charlotte asked weakly, turning her head slowly toward the door. "Damon, Stefan, are you here?"

"Yes," Stefan said, running toward the bed as Sam moved aside to give his uncle space to get close. "We're here. How are you?"

"I've been better," she said and suddenly gasped for air before finally getting a breath and being able to speak. "I wish…I wish I could stay. There wasn't enough time. I didn't…I don't know why…why did I have to die so soon the first time, and why did I have to die so soon now?"

"Maybe…maybe it was the universe's way of saving you," Selina got out with tears in her eyes as she squeezed Charlotte's other hand. "You married a man who wasn't as good to you as you deserved. Think about how much misery you were saved by dying early." She lapsed into sobs and said, "Damn it, this was so much easier when I was five and had no idea what the fuck was going on!" She ran to the door and Sam ran after her and put his arms around her. Then, over her shoulder, he saw a light appear in the corner of the room. A bright, white light that coalesced into the shape of a young man who didn't look much different from himself.

"Mom," he whispered, "It's…it's Joshua. I think he's come to take Grandma home."

Joshua Salvatore was Selina and Damon's elder son, and thus, Sam's older brother, with the same brown hair and blue eyes that the rest of his family shared. He'd been born while Selina was human, and died in 1939 so Sam had never met him in person, but he always seemed to show up when people in the family needed him most. Like Charlotte did now. He watched his brother glide toward the bed and then they all heard him say, "It's time for you to come with me now, Grandmother."

"All right," she said and let him take her hand. "I'll come. I have no other choice." Then she looked at Thomas and said, "I love you, don't ever forget me," before she closed her eyes, her body went still, and then both her spirt and Joshua's went through the bedroom wall, probably never to be seen again. Or at least not for a while, anyway.

When it was all over, everyone took deep breaths and sat in silence, then Sam came over to hug his father. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked Damon.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "I think I'll be okay once I go back to the boarding house and have a stiff drink. Or two. Or three."

"I agree with that," Thomas said and stood up as Selina offered to drive him home, an offer he declined. "That sounds completely all right with me. And then tomorrow, we can begin to put the funeral arrangements into action."

" _We_ won't do anything," Damon told him. "Just Stefan and I will do it, since we're Mother's sons."

"All right, whatever," Thomas told them, not wanting to start a fight. "But you'll tell me when the funeral is, won't you?"

"Of course," Selina nodded and hugged him. "And if they won't, then I will."

* * *

When they got home, Damon decided to lock himself alone in his room with a bottle of bourbon and Stefan decided to lock himself in his room with Samantha. Fortunately, he didn't even have to go looking for her. He saw that she was right where he wanted her just as he closed the bedroom door behind him: On his bed, in her underwear, and holding a big bottle of bourbon in her lap.

"Hey," she said as she knocked some down and then held the bottle out to him. "You look like hell. Do you need to self-medicate?"

"Nah," Stefan shook his head. "Well, not in big amounts, anyway. You drink that stuff, or did you bring it just for me?"

"Nope, I brought it for both of us," she said and zapped up two glasses. "Would you rather not drink it from the bottle?"

Stefan smiled and climbed onto the bed with her. "Get rid of the glasses and I'll show you how I want to drink it," he said.

She did and then he pushed her back against the mattress, letting her zap off his clothes after he removed her bra and slowly slid her panties down her thighs, kissing every bit of hot bare skin that moving them down revealed.

"Oh, god," Samantha breathed. "Oh, god!"

Then Stefan grabbed the bourbon bottle (thankful there was more than one in the house since Damon didn't like to share at all) and poured some in Samantha's belly button and on her stomach. It was cold so she screamed at first, but then laughed at the feeling of his tongue and lips on her skin as he slurped the bourbon out of her belly button and slowly licked it off her stomach.

When it was all gone, he just grinned at her.

"What?" She asked. "Are you stopping there?"

"No," he said, pushing his hands up her torso, then stopping to cup her breasts and give them a squeeze. "I was just looking at how beautiful you are."

"Oh, stop," Samantha scoffed. "I know you're just pedaling a lot of bullshit, aren't you?"

"Well, what would you rather have me say that wouldn't spoil the mood?" Stefan asked.

"I don't need words," Samantha told him. "I need action and if you're just gonna sit there and talk while I'm lying her naked, I'm taking charge of this whole thing."

"No," Stefan shook his head. "There's no need for that." He took her in his arms and kissed her deep and long. "See?" He said with a smile when they finally separated and Samantha's eyes were wide with shock. "See what you'd be missing out on if you took charge?"

"Don't talk about it," Samantha remonstrated and nibbled on his ear. "Just do it. Fuck me and don't hold back." She then grinned wickedly. "You can even bite me a little. I don't mind. I liked it last time." She then grabbed Stefan's face in her hands and kissed him. Probably because of the surprise from her taking over, they tussled a bit before she finally pulled back a little and let him take charge.

Then his hands were in her hair and he was kissing her more slowly, nibbling a little on her lips before moving onto her neck, holding her head with one hand and supporting her back with the other so that she wouldn't slip or flop around when he bit her.

"You're actually gonna do it, aren't you?" She chuckled. "You're gonna take my blood."

"Well, I haven't fed today, so if you're offering, I won't refuse you," Stefan told her. He then bit down and relished her scream, but the screaming stopped once he began licking the excess blood off her neck before pushing into her a few times.

"Good?" She asked warily when he was finally through.

"Yes," he said and bit his wrist, letting the blood dribble into her mouth. "You're very tasty." He parted her legs then and licked her before sitting up and smiling as she panted and felt herself break out in sweat. "And not just your blood, either."

"Good," she said, trying to maintain a cool tone. "I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Yes," Stefan nodded, looming over her with a grin. "For now, anyway."

* * *

"I think you've had enough," the bartender told Thomas as he plunked down the empty glass that had held his seventh drink. "I think you should leave now."

"All right," Thomas muttered. "Fuck you." He then left without paying and then found Davina standing outside the bar waiting for him. She was clearly still dealing with what they'd done earlier, and when she saw him, she grabbed him.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "What's the matter? Talk to me, please! You're not acting like yourself and I want to know why so I can help!" She shook him and then he burst out laughing, allowing her to get a whiff of his breath. "Oh, my god," she said. "You've been drinking! Just how much have you had?"

"I don't know," Thomas shook his head, his gaze unfocused as he made a poor attempt to stop a burp. "A lot." He paused, grabbing her hands and taking her away from the open street. "We can't talk here," he told her in a whisper. "I have to take you some place private."

"But _where?"_ Davina pleaded, trying her best to keep up the pace as he walked faster, pulling her along behind him.

"Just don't talk and you'll find out," Thomas said, pausing to glare at her. "Do you understand that?"

"Okay," Davina nodded and tried to keep calm. As worked up as he was, it probably was not a good idea to agitate him further.

Finally, he stopped outside a dingy pay-by-hour hotel where only half the letters on the sign were lit in red neon letters. "Let's go in here," he said.

Davina looked at the sign, which, if all the letters were alight, would have read "Neptune's Bungalow Motel," groaned, and let him bring her in. It might have been sleazy, but at least there was a chance he would sleep off what he'd drunk if she got him into a bed.

"You two want a room?" asked the man at the counter after they'd woken him up.

"Yeah," Thomas said, staring at him. He was wiry with greased back black hair and beady dark eyes. "What else do you think we would come in here for?"

"Just give us the keys, please," Davina told the man. "My friend here has had a long day and he needs to rest."

"'Friend'?" Thomas chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm much more than a friend, I-"

"We're going!" Davina said, taking the key and pushing Thomas ahead of her down the hallway in search of their room.

It didn't take long to find it, and to Davina's surprise, even though the room was small and a bit dirty, it still wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. She sat down on the mattress to check the springs and when she'd confirmed that the bed wouldn't collapse on them, she then stood up and said to Thomas, "All right. Now we have to get you out of those clothes. Unless you _want_ to sleep dressed." Then she paused. "But first…first you wanna tell me what made you drink so much?"

"No, thank you," Thomas shook his head, picking at a loose threat in the paisley comforter. "I wouldn't…I wouldn't want to bore you."

"Just give me a try," she urged and put her arm around him. "Please."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "Someone I loved very much has just passed away. And I'm having a really hard time dealing with it."

"Awww!" Davina cried and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry. Anything I can to do help just tell me."

"Well," Thomas smiled. "If that offer to undress me for bed still stands, I'd be more than willing to take you up on it. And don't do it with your magic, either. Do it by _hand_."

"I wasn't gonna do it any other way," Davina replied.

She then took him in her arms and kissed his lips and neck before peeling off his skin tight navy blue shirt. "Wow," she breathed as she looked him over and then slowly ran her hands down his abs. "You just…I…wow."

Taking in quick, shallow breaths, she got down on her knees and unzipped his jeans, watching them fall to his ankles and waiting for him to kick them aside.

"Do you…" she whispered against his ear, "do you sleep naked or can we just leave you like this?"

"I was planning for _you_ to sleep naked," Thomas replied. "It's no fun if I'm not that way either."

Davina started to avert her eyes as he pushed his boxers down. But after a few seconds, she couldn't help herself and she looked.

He came closer and pulled her against himself, breathing in the scent of her hair and yanking off her red t-shirt before running his hands down her arms and cupping her breasts before kissing her long and slow, and biting her bottom lip.

"You're supposed to be resting now," she remonstrated as he brought her to bed.

"I can do that later," he told her as he undressed her most of the way and grinned while she lay nearly naked and wide-eyed on the mattress beneath him. "With what we're gonna do, we'll be plenty tired afterward."

"Really?" Davina grinned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded as he pulled her up to sit and she threw her arms around his neck, letting him nibble on her and kiss her deeply. "I'm very certain about things like that."

Davina gave him a small smile then and said, "Here's hoping then that while we're here, we both forget our troubles."

But just as he lowered her onto the mattress, his stomach twisted, he ran to the bathroom to throw up. After that, she tucked him into bed and he soon fell asleep, snoring softly. "It's gonna be all right," she told him, playing with his hair as she climbed into bed beside him. "We'll forget all our troubles someday: Charlotte, Malachai, everything. It'll all be better someday."

 **The End**

 **Next up: Klaus and Elijah's stories merge as the gang returns from Egypt with the Phoenix's mummy and that means trouble for the entire Original Family**


End file.
